Hei Toki

Te Tauihu Taonga

For contemporary Māori Sculptor Ruihana Smith (Ngāti Kuia), his journey with pakohe (argillite) started within Ngāti Kuia wāhi tūpuna (ancestral sites of Ngāti Kuia) in the Marlborough Sounds.

Five years ago, Ruihana started his own studio Te Tauihu Taonga. Ruihana believes that the mauri (life force) that pakohe carries is that of the atua (gods), whenua (land) and awa (rivers) from which it is sourced, imbued into the object. Whakapapa informs everything.

Pakohe is an intrinsic part of identity in Te Tauihu; affinity with pakohe is a key part of cultural revitalization.

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