WHETŪ COLLINS
Ngāti Hikairo, Tainui, Ōhinehou.
After completing formal product design training at Massey university, my creative practice has naturally evolved into to Toi Māori, which I have found to be a creative expression that resides naturally inside me. This has largely manifested in Whakairo rākau (wood carving). My creative ambition is to continue absorbing the matauranga around me, and share it in ways that contribute to a more sustainable and fulfilling way of life, as our tupuna did. I am also personally trying to confront what it means to be of both Māori and Pākehā decent, knowing that one line of my whakapapa had an active role in opressing the other. Growing up in Ōtautahi facilitated this understanding, through cross cultural pollination, albeit western dominant. Growing up with kapa haka, a local whakairo centre and a mother who would sing waiata created a foundation of Māori creativity.
Later in life harnessing this has been a natural way for me to reclaim my indigenous identity, as although I engaged in what matauranga was presented to me, my upbringing was largely disconnected from te ao Māori. I am continuing to strengthen this connection in my adult life - both creatively and otherwise - in order to reverse the damage done by language restrictions, land theft and cultural suppression faced by our tupuna, and for the betterment of those to come.
Aside from Mahi toi, I have developed creative interests through my western education, and my Pākehā upbringing. Lighting and furniture design are of notable interest to me, as they feel like the most peeled back in terms of function of all designed objects. Perhaps it is my interest in sculpture. Lighting design is like sculpture, but with the added dimension of light, and furniture design is like sculpture, with the added dimension of the human body.
I hope to create a design ideology that effectively combines these two worlds, to enrich the lives of people by bringing joy into lived spaces, both in Aotearoa and elsewhere.
