Pania is a marakīhau, a tīpua of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Ahuriri. The famous pūrākau of Pania of the Reef tells of her love story with Karitoki, a human man. They would meet in the darkness of the nights to be together and every morning before the sun rises she would return to her ocean people. Karitoki deceived her by trying to keep her on land. She vanished back to the ocean, never to be seen again.
The bronze sculpture of Pania sit’s in the Soundshell gardens of the Marine Parade in Ahuriri known as Napier. An iconic monument of Hawke’s Bay history since 1954 however more significant to hapū of Ahuriri and Ngāti Kahungunu because of the young girl whose likening was cast into bronze for this sculpture when she was a student at Hukarere Māori Girls College. Her name is Mei Whaitiri nee Robin, mother of ex-silver fern, Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi representative and Labour Party MP for Ikaroa Rāwhiti, Meka Whaitiri of Kohupātiki.
Materials: Resin
Additional information
Colour
Emerald, Fluro Yellow, Hot Pink, Moss Green, orange, Red, Royal Blue
Brand
Messini Palace
Aronga Toi: Ringatoi Iwi:Ngāti Apakura, Waikato Tainui, NgāpuhiTaonga:Whānau Ariki Cubes (Resin Tiki)Kaupapa:Messini Palace is of Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Apakura, Waikato Tainui descent, She is a self-taught, experimental artist working primarily with resin and plaster. She is a self-sustainable practitioner who creates custom pieces from her studio in central Auckland. After living abroad for a long period, her decision to return home and pursue her art practice aided in her reconnection and reclamation of identity as a wāhine Māori. Some of her projects are collaborations with carver Mike Matchitt- while Matchitt carves into the original blueprint mould, Messini casts resin sculptures from the carved moulds to create a final piece. A selection of Messini’s sculptures is inspired by souvenir pieces of the mid-century era, such as the tiki. This is her way of counter-critiquing trinkets sold to tourists, reclaiming the narrative of taonga tuku iho. Messini’s greatest influence is her whakapapa; many of her pieces represent important tūpuna or kaitiaki.
Pania of The Reef
$180.00
Description
Title: Pania of The Reef
Artist: Messini Palace
Iwi: Ngāti Apakura
Description: Resin Sculpture
Pania is a marakīhau, a tīpua of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Ahuriri. The famous pūrākau of Pania of the Reef tells of her love story with Karitoki, a human man. They would meet in the darkness of the nights to be together and every morning before the sun rises she would return to her ocean people. Karitoki deceived her by trying to keep her on land. She vanished back to the ocean, never to be seen again.
The bronze sculpture of Pania sit’s in the Soundshell gardens of the Marine Parade in Ahuriri known as Napier. An iconic monument of Hawke’s Bay history since 1954 however more significant to hapū of Ahuriri and Ngāti Kahungunu because of the young girl whose likening was cast into bronze for this sculpture when she was a student at Hukarere Māori Girls College. Her name is Mei Whaitiri nee Robin, mother of ex-silver fern, Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi representative and Labour Party MP for Ikaroa Rāwhiti, Meka Whaitiri of Kohupātiki.
Materials: Resin
Additional information
Emerald, Fluro Yellow, Hot Pink, Moss Green, orange, Red, Royal Blue
Brand
Messini Palace
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