#kokowai

[miyatoriaka]

"There're so many places I want to show you" - Pokeshipping [2022|01|16-22]

I still think about such a scene (or more of them), when thinking about Ash's words he was saying to Misty in Alola, while walking in front of that beautiful sunset.

[kapatotapa]

KOKOWAI | Why do I paint with kokowai? 

Kokowai is red earth, found in veins, running through Papatūānuku, Earth Mother. Kokowai contains the essence of creation. From the red fertile soils of Kurawaka, our first wahine, Hine-ahu-one was moulded. Between Her thighs we were created. 

I love using kokowai. It is life giving. Generous. Sovereign. Smooth. Strong. Vibrant. Decisive. Clear. What could be more connected to these ancestral earth ties than the stuff we are made of. 

Art is more than just aesthetic. Just like we are conscious of the thoughts we project and words we speak. We must think about the materials we use and images we make. I am always asking why, why am I choosing this material, where is it from, what does it say, what does it want to become. By reflecting and learning from our own decision making processes we can refine, simplify and strengthen the ideas we are trying to convey and the philosophy we are perpetuating through our art. 

BE A CONSCIOUS ARTIST

[kapatotapa]

Working with Kokowai

According to Maori Marsden, the Māori world of symbology is a mode of interpretation that helps us to understand and make sense of the physical world as well as its various esoteric layers that make up the holistic Māori world view. “The Ancient Māori seers like the later modern physicist created sets of symbols to provide them with their maps/models to portray each state in [the] evolutionary process. These representations were the means by which they could apprehend/grasp/reconcile the various worlds; and grasp what they perceived as ultimate reality.” His explanation is a useful way of explaining why using certain materials convey layered meaning beyond their physical attributes. Kokowai, red earth, contains an inherent meaning beyond its physical function as red pigment. In my work kokowai acts as a symbol that encapsulates our creation narrative. This earth and its red colour alludes to the vulva of Papatuanuku, where her sexual procreative power lies. It represents not only our earth mother but our creative bodily fluid. “Symbols are the deliberate creation of the human mind. They are an indirect reference to some other reality, a representation of it. They are the means by which the mind creates maps/models/formulae as a means of representing/grasping/interpreting/reconciling/integrating the different orders of reality” (30).

The deliberate use of this raw material therefore contains many layers. Working with kokowai I have found there a multitudes of ways this material be documented, captured or used in away that allows its essence to be conveyed.

[kapatotapa]

KOKOWAI AND TUMERIC

Yesterday I had a little tutu with pigments. If I’m honest, painting is my medium. You know that saying that goes something like, if you want to be good at something you have to practice it for a 1000 hours. Well I feel like I’ve painted for about 1000 hours but in saying that, I haven’t done much of it lately.. or at Elam at all. I won’t get into why but basically I’m pretty excited that I get to paint again. As I said here, making marks/decorating/adorning the aute is part of the “life cycle” of my aute project. To fully resolve or finish these pieces of processed aute I have to paint them. Right?

I beat these rectangles of aute last semester and at first I felt too precious about the “raw” natural condition to do anything to them. Yesterday I finally found the courage to change them– dye them and transform them. The beautiful rich red ocher is called alae in Hawaiian and actually comes from Kauai. Dante always tells me you MUST grind the pigment to the finest it can go, to make the pigment strong and almost shiny. The Māori word for this pigment is kokowai and it is basically coloured earth and comes in many different shades. The other pigment I am using is tumeric. Haha say what? My explanation is that in Hawai’i (if you look at pic#1 the pre-dyed and stamped piece of aute I made in Hawai’i is a soft yellow colour) they use ‘olena or tumeric root to dye their tapa and it is a stunning pigment to work with (as well is really healthy to eat) so I thought I would try out the powder form. The result? The root form, when grated and squeezed produces a much more satisfying result. The powder was a little, well powdery.

The next step is looking at traditional painting or mark making techniques. Did we use stamps like the Hawaiians? Were our patterns always circular koru or were they more straight edged and triangular like our pacific cousins? There are so many question that I would love to find the answers to but I probably won’t fully get to explore because of the time constraints of this Honours year. Heoi ano, I’ll still look into it and hopefully be inspired to paint like our tupuna did. Anyone with answers, feel free to email me. Please email me.

[classicaltalking-blog]

(they make good bath buddies. zacharie won't take off his mask, and the batter won't take off his hat.)

[yuseirra]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YUSEIRRAAAA! I hope you're having a good one! You're really nice and I like your art! I wish you a thousand more of birthdays to come, haha.

YES YES it's been really nice// thank you so much// I'm reading your other message with this one, and I'm happy too!! I know... it really takes courage to talk to a stranger or someone you haven't talked to;; that happens all the time for me too!! And yet, you mustered courage to do so and I very appreciate it (I wish my vocabs weren't too bland and I could phrase things differently for every messages I get ;v; but appreciate seems like the right word..!) I want to tell you, thank you and also, good job! I'm thankful you did and I now I know who you are! I have a memory of a goldfish, but I'll try to remember people -v-..! and aaa/// thank you thank you for saying you like my art///!!! I don't know why that makes me smile a lot!

[yjh]

Asteeeeer-saaaaan! -FOLLOWS-

hiii koko!!! ^_^