Wheku – Karu Kore

Arumaki is a raukura of both Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rito in Ōtaki, and Te Wānanga o Raukawa; his works are a reflection of these foundational teachings. With the support of his kaiako and whānau, he graduated with a Diploma of Toi Whakarākai - Māori Design & Art, and completed a Degree in Digital & Graphic Design at Whitireia Polytechnic in Porirua. Arumaki has been a member of the Ōtaki Pottery Club since Kura Kaupapa and comes from a long line of creatives alongside his older brother Rerehau Pasene-Grennell, uncle Shane Pasene and his māmā, Tribal Fibres and Native Style designer, Tutina Pasene. Over the years they have collaborated as a whānau across many mediums and various platforms, runways, and productions.Kaupapa:Arumaki draws inspiration from Māori and Pacific art and creates Taonga Pūoro using a combination of traditional and modern materials. He is mainly self-taught in regard to making and playing Taonga Pūoro, but also draws from past and present practitioners such as Horomona Horo, James Webster, Hirini Melbourne, and his past mentor Jerome Kavanagh. Arumaki has embraced the opportunities of this art form to learn te reo Māori, whakapapa, pūrākau, and healing through Taonga Pūoro for whānau. He aims to share Taonga Pūoro with as many people as possible so that Taonga Pūoro can be appreciated and enjoyed far and wide.