Waka Tete original

The creation of Waka Tete was greatly inspired by the ideas of Matariki which is a tradition of Maori culture.

Waka Tete means the canoe of many people. Imagine yourself looking backwards to see the trailing wake fade out into the distance. This is a time to remember our past loved ones, reflect on our mistakes and embrace our achievements.

Gazing out the front of this waka you see a view of un-sailed territory. A place to plan direction and set intentions. 

Between these two places we experience the present, a poetic movement of people unifying Waka Tete and the process of time. The beautiful nature of our humanity is in our differences, just like the varying swirls of Waka Tete. These different sculptural shapes complement each other, creating a poetic form in the same way we do with each other.

The canoe of many people,

Waka Tete.

A collaboration artwork created by Max Rickards and Jagteshwar Dhillon