“Elevate, inspire and strengthen our community”

Titiro Whakamuri, Kokiri Whakamua

REGAN BALZER (Te Arawa and Ngāti Ranginui)

The Kumete, depicted in this mural, is a ceremonial food bowl and celebrates the Pukekohe community and the various crops grown in the region. Lower on the wall (behind the hedge) are images designed by young children of the community and painted by PHS students. These images acknowledge the children who passed away in the segregation era, due to poverty, now lying in unmarked graves. As we look to the past, the Kumete features three carved forms. At one end we remember the past and pay tribute to the hard work of our ancestors. The Koruru (face) in the middle encourages us to learn from the past, to work in the present to build a healthy future for the coming generations (represented in the child at the front).

Town's murals paint a path forward

Regan Balzer's kumete - food bowl - is a nod to the area's resources but also to our chequered past.

Just as Pukekohe Library is a paataka korero – a food bowl for the mind - artist Regan Balzer’s mural on the side of Franklin: The Centre, is a kumete – a food bowl.

Now blessed by mana whenua, the mural is the latest added to the Pukekohe townscape, the artist helped by Pukekohe High School students.

Balzer was committed to staying close to the original kumete design, with the food bowl representing the area’s fertile soil, waterways and plentiful foods.

The idea also aligns to the library and “Te Kai a te Rangatira” – the food of the chief is korero – as a place where people gather to share knowledge, consider, discuss and learn.

It also acknowledges our connection with meeting for shared meals, and how enriching and supportive togetherness and shared conversation are.

Balzer told Pukekohe High School art teacher Catherine Tamihere, who co-ordinated the students involved, she hoped people could see themselves, because the work was created for the community, reflecting on the area’s resources as a path to health and well-being.

Hidden in it are playful healthy children. Tamihere says her students, using pictures sent in by local kids, added them peeping out from behind a hedge at the bottom of the work.

“The idea was to include our kids by having them paint the portraits, so that when you look, these little ones are looking back at you. It’s a way of honouring the children in Pukekohe Cemetery’s unmarked graves, children in the gardens, and yet to come.”

Tamihere is behind the murals beautifying the town, and even captured the attention of the producer of House Hunters International, who has expressed an interest in filming for an episode about a family who moved from Michigan to Pukekohe.

The mural initiative is a bid by Eke Panuku to enhance the town through art as part of its Unlock Pukekohe placemaking project while also recognising community identity and shaping a narrative that celebrates the area's history, especially around Māori culture.

“The kindness of Pukekohe was next level throughout the process of the mural,” Tamihere says. “Most nights we worked until midnight. One gentleman brought us hot chicken, we got snacks and high fives. It feels like we are working towards our goal of making Pukekohe the most Aroha town in Aotearoa.”

Balzer’s unique style combines cultural touchstones with layers of colour.

She has exhibited around the country and overseas, particularly in Italy, America, Australia, Rarotonga and Tahiti, having graduated with honours as a Masters in Māori Visual Arts at Te Pūtahi-ā-Toi, Massey University.

From Rotorua, her work is influenced by the area’s volcanic thermal features and the colours generated by natural minerals.

When young, she would go with her grandmother to her work as a Māori Arts and Crafts Institute guide. On the tour she would listen to her talk about the history of the people and the land, the carvings, greenstone pendants and garments she saw.

“It made me appreciate how connected the artworks were with the people and their stories, and how important art is a receptacle of knowledge and stories,” she told the artedit.com.au website.

She also enjoys exploring the relationships people have with treasured objects. “I use designs from Māori art and life, and an element of intuition that uses strong, contrasting colour, to bring layers of a story to life.”

“My husband lived in Pukekohe when he was young and remembers the gardens, school and family life, so it was special to be able to paint a mural for this community”.

Franklin Local Board chair Angela Fulljames says the mural and its messages are powerful.

“We need to encourage and acknowledge our history, some of it less perfect than we might like. That is a path forward that is both honest and constructive.”

She says Tamihere’s vision of using art to change the narrative of the area’s history of racism toward Māori is especially valuable because of being confronting.

“There are people still directly affected. These are issues that hit their families, it’s very recent history. My hope is that we can all see the murals as part of the healing process.”

Artist Martin Langdon’s contribution to the series, Too taatou Kaainga, too tatou Hiitori was painted in West Street with Te Rama O Matahuaanga as its driving concept, a reference to the place of seen and memorialised history.

It draws on symbols from the immediate environment, the Seddon Memorial light, the Judas tree and other elements, while using what has become his signature font to provide prompts to unseen histories as we look back with new light to provide a way forward.

Partly using Creative Communities funding allocated by the board, Jimmy James Kouratoras painted the mural behind the town square, attracting One News, saying his work was like a waharoa – gateway, for conversation.

“It's about changing the narrative, acknowledging it, but changing it for the youth and bringing a new colour palette to their story."

Tamihere told One News she hoped the murals would become an educational resource for the community.

"The way forward is to educate everyone. With New Zealand history coming into the curriculum, this is the perfect time to be able to use the murals, so that it becomes sort of like a walking tour of our own history.”

At the blessing for Blazer’s mural, Tamihere said the murals were the third part of a response to the book No Māori Allowed, the first being having author Robert Bartholomew speak locally, and the second the Hikoi for Harmony.

“All three of these responses came out of talking with our students and others. It was clear the impact of this history is still being felt, and that divisive elements are still present.

“There was a lack of awareness about the stories detailed in No Māori Allowed, and we felt there was a need to respond, but also an opportunity to do it creatively, to help bring people together.

“The creation of beautiful art that depicts Te Ao Maori, where all things are connected and inter-related, can help us heal and further break a taboo that has sat over our town, for only by acknowledging the past, can we move into the future.”

https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2023/06/town-s-murals-paint-a-path-forward/

Regan Balzer

“It's about changing the narrative, acknowledging it, but changing it for the youth and bringing a new colour palette to their story.”

Catherine Tamiheres speech followed after the karakia of Martin Langdon and Regan Balzers murals

Kia ora all,

My name is Catherine Tamihere. I am an art teacher at Pukekohe High School and the co-ordinator of the mural project. It is so great to see many familiar faces here today, and for those who are joining us for the first time I would like to sincerely express my thanks for taking the time to be with us this morning and show your support to the kaupapa. On that note I would just like to start by briefly mentioning how this project came about and its purpose, before I get in to some thank you’s for the support people have shown.

The mural project is the third part of our response to the book “No Māori Allowed”, the first being the Author talk held in the town hall, and the second being the Hikoi for Harmony walk through the main street. All three of these responses came as a result of talking with our students and other members of the community, it was clear that the impact of this history is still being felt, and that divisive elements are still prevalent within the Franklin community. From the discussions we had there was a lack of awareness from many about the stories detailed in No Māori Allowed, and we felt there was a need to respond to this dark history and an opportunity to respond creatively, and proactively could help bring people together and make choices for vision, honouring partnership in our present and near future.

The creation of beautiful public artworks that depict te ao Maori where all things are connected and inter-related, can help us to heal as a community and further break the taboo that has sat over our town like a dark cloud. For only by acknowledging the past, can we move into the future.

These murals are here to inspire all our kids – Māori AND Non Māori. Having our kids working on a mural means that together they learn about our history – the good, the bad and the ugly. The mural project specifically teaches them how to respond to this history through art, and to achieve this they are mentored by some of the best Māori artists in Aotearoa. As you have heard this morning our kids are totally invested in the Kaupapa, and there is always a high level of nervousness as they want to make this a success, most of all they want to make you proud. Through the mural project our Rangatahi get to visually transform public spaces, and these murals stand here as a reminder of what they have achieved. On top of the physical impact the mural project has allowed our Rangatahi to have on the community, it has been a door to enable them to step out in to the community, speak with others they wouldn’t normally speak to, and learn that they came be part of shaping this community into the place they want it to be, and this in itself is a huge win. Their presence and participation this early on a cold winters morning, is further testament to their dedication, and belief in the importance of what they have done.

These murals are painted in large scale, with Māori narratives proudly on display in prominent public spaces. These murals represent a real shift in attitudes and thinking in our community. The murals are here to provoke thought, conversation and to ensure we do not forget or ignore our history. They are also here as a resource to support what our children will be learning at schools as local history has been added to the curriculum. The murals can support this important addition to the curriculum by acting as a walking history tour of local stories, and already we have had classes visiting them, this brings a smile to our face, not least of which because they are outside and off their phones, but also as depicted on our very first mural - they are the heart of our community.

It takes a community to change a community, so none of this would be possible without the support of some fantastic people who not only believe in the Kaupapa, but most importantly are also willing to publicly stand alongside us, and generously donate their time, resources, walls, as well as providing support in the background as I am sure they get many questions directed towards them from others in the community. So on that note I would like express my personal, sincere gratitude to the following people.

Thank you for your blessing Matua Robert and Matua Paora. We would also like to acknowledge Ngaati Tamaoho, Ngati te Ata and Ngaa Hau e Wha for your awhi this morning.

Ngaa mihi ki a koutou to our precious kaumatua and Kuia for your encouragement feedback and being here.

Eke Panuku (Ole and Rachel) – we are very lucky to have you here listening and serving our community to enhance our public spaces and build on what makes this place special. You put a great amount of time into this Kaupapa and we are very grateful.

To our dear friends Eugene and Hannah Hamilton, owners of Franklins and Sumei. Thank you for not even batting an eye lid when we asked if we could paint your heritage building. Thank you to Steve and Toya for letting us take over your carpark for two weeks when it was only supposed to be one, your kindness is much appreciated. And a special mention to the Pukekohe Business Association for being so willing to help out.

Local Franklin Board – thank you for your awhi for these murals – we see it as an acknowledgement of actively wanting to support our Rangatahi and tangata whenua, your actions speak louder than words and I know you try hard to meet the needs of our rangatahi. A special mention to Logan Soole, time and time again you show up for our kids advocating and contributing to the kaupapa in a way that would be impossible for us too. We are grateful and our community is lucky to have you.

Martin Langdon, you have gifted us with a mural that speaks of forgotten histories, often ignored because they are uncomfortable. It also speaks of relationships to each other and to the taiao environment. From conversations with our Rangatahi you reinforced the importance of being curious, doing your research and thinking critically. Thank you Tilly for helping Dad out and we would also like to acknowledge your Mum, brother and sister back in Wellington for letting you two come up here to do what you have done for us.

Regan Balzer, you have gifted us a mural which speaks of the past, the present but it also acts as a beacon for the future. When you approach this east facing wall from afar, the first thing you see is our tamaiti. Strong, healthy, innocent. This mural evokes so many emotions because of what it represents – it brings sadness because of what we lost as a community, but at the same time it offers a glimpse of the future. Happy, nurtured and shinning really bright. Thank you for bringing your heart. Thank you Horomona for supporting your Wahine through the long cold nights, and for the stories about growing up here.

We put up a post on the Franklin Grapevine asking for kids to send us some self portraits and we received so many. So thank you very much to all the Tamariki of Pukekohe for taking the time to do this, and providing the material for our Year 9 and 10 students to paint here. A special mention to Whaea Atarangi and Room 10 at Pukekohe North School, Pukekohe Central Kindergarten and tamariki at Patumaahoe Primary School.

Pukekohe High School – Our Principal, SLT, BOT, Caretakers, support staff and our Kaiako and the Arts Faculty

Last but definitely not least. Our Rangatahi, our kids, for being so curious, committed, and enthusiastic. Everyone is here this morning because of what you have helped create, even if you haven’t helped on the mural project, you are here because you believe there is something exciting on the horizon. And you are totally right. You have a powerful voice in this community. Use it for kindness. Use it to break down barriers and build bridges. Use it to shape community into the awesome place it can and will be. Thank you whanau for supporting and entrusting us with your tamariki you are the most important people in their lives and together we can help grow great people.

No reira tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa