Aotearoa today is going through a revolutionary cultural rebirth. This has been so significant that many indigenous cultures around the world have converged here to get an idea of how this has happened with a view to bringing the ‘recipe’ home.

Before being colonised by the British empire only 150 years ago, Maori lived uninterrupted, isolated from the world for hundreds of years developing and nurturing their art and culture until disease and the first of the many land wars with the British would plummet this proud and noble race almost into extinction.

Remarkably the Maori have survived and live on with a resilience and persistence that has attracted other indigenous cultures to our shores. Recent events in New Zealand has seen the emergence or a renaissance in the Maori arts, culture and language.

We must acknowledge the supreme being and our ancestors. They are the true authors who paved the way for people to continue the well-trodden pathway towards spiritual enlightenment. As the well-known saying in Maori goes: “He aha te mea nui ki te Ao nei? Maku e ki atu. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. What is most precious in all the world? It is man, it is man, it is mankind. That is you.”

The Artistic Landscape By Peter Simpson
This is information about the artistic landscape of New Zealand, the history and influences of Maori Art.

Kupe
Kupe was a great chief of Hawaiki (Tahiti), whose father was from Rarotonga, and whose mother was from Rangiatea (Ra’iatea), where her father lived. These were the three islands over which Kupe’s mana (power) extended.

The Maori of New Zealand
The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. Maori is the language of the indigenous people of New Zealand. The word Maori means normal or ordinary person in the Maori language, and in some other Polynesian languages. The word Maori is also applied to the people and language of the Cook Islands which are both referred to as Cook Islands Maori.

New Zealand
New Zealand is home to the Tangata Whenua (people of the land), the Maori. It is believed that the Polynesian navigator Kupe was the first man to sight New Zealand around AD 950 and then returned home to tell of his findings. Around AD 1350 seven great migratory canoes (whaka) sailed from Hawaiki to New Zealand.

Journey to Aotearoa
New Zealand or Aotearoa (ay-oh-tay-ah-row-ah) is home to the Tangata Whenua (people of the land), the Maori. It is widely believed that the Maoris originated from the tropical islands of Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. The Polynesians were master navigators, using the stars, the direction of sea birds in flight, cloud patterns and the colour of the water as guides, they crossed the Pacific Ocean with canoes that had been built to withstand heavy seas and were able to carry many people and their possessions over great distances.

Gondwana 80 million years ago
New Zealand’s colourful history commences from the time when the Rangitata landmass separated from the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana 80 million years ago, evolving to become modern New Zealand.

Hawaiki
Hawaiki, the legendary homeland of the Maori peoples of Aotearoa/New Zealand, from whence we migrated to this land about 1000 years ago. Where is Hawaiki? Many have speculated that it lies somewhere in the Pacific, somewhere in Polynesia.

If you are new to Maori design you may be interested in seeing how it is applied in digital form on print media, products, textiles and apparel. The tiki site is an example of the tiki brand that shows how this is achieved and marketed.

This concept is not new to Maori. In fact, Maori design has been used as a marketing tool for trade as works of art as far back as the 17th century where many artifacts such as waka oars were painted in kowhaiwhai and are now in the the hands of private collectors and museums around the world.

What differentiates the products of Tiki is their design aspect which embraces traditional and modern techniques created by Maori designers who are trained practitioners in Maori arts and design with an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the physical and spiritual aspects of their culture.