'Wrapped in a Blanket of Love and Whakapapa’: Kākahu Mahi Toi Fundraiser for Te Whānau Awahou Tamariki, artwork by Maungarongo Te Kawa

SECOND PRE-ORDER RUN.....BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND.....

PRE-ORDERS CLOSE: 30 October at 1000 am

PICK-UP: Friday 8 November from 2.45 pm outside Te Whānau Awahou, Te Uru Karaka Newton Central, Monmouth street

DELIVERY: Sent out some time after 8 November. Click on the courier charge so we know you want it sent, and don't forget to leave your address at the end!

Kia ora e te whānau,

Thank you for supporting our kura and our tamariki!

Te Whānau Awahou is a bilingual Te Reo Māori unit within Te Uru Karaka Newton Central School, guided by kaupapa Māori principles, practices and pedagogy. Our tamariki experience daily interaction in Te Reo Māori, and this commitment to speaking and keeping our reo alive, enriches their lives, the lives of our whānau, and the lives of the wider community. Kia kaha te reo Māori! (Te Awahou o Te Aka Pūkāea | Newton Central School)

This year we will be participating in a four night Noho Marae. We will stay on a marae, connecting to whakapapa, and participating in the daily life, from the pōwhiri, to the kīhini, to the echoing snores from the next-mattress-neighbour, this experience is a taonga we want to provide for our tamariki.

To fundraise we have considered - what other ways can we uplift and promote Māori culture so that a wider community may participate in this reclamation journey? We have looked to mahi toi and specifically to one of our heroes, Maungarongo Te Kawa, an artist grounded in te ao Māori, whose principles align with the kaupapa of our kura, and whose practice we love - to make a fundraising print.

‘Wrapped in a Blanket of Love and Whakapapa’ by Maungarongo Te Kawa

This title comes from a kōrero the artist gave about his mahi toi. It reminds us that we are always in the embrace of our tūpuna, no matter where we are.

Maungarongo Te Kawa of Ngāti Porou is a fabric artist, educator, and storyteller. His practice makes old pūrākau newly relevant using brilliant colour, fluid design, and infectious good humour. Following a vibrant career in costume design and fashion, Te Kawa has dedicated himself to full-time art-making and teaching. In addition to producing his own elaborate whakapapa quilts, he runs sewing workshops, guiding participants to express their creativity and genealogy through fabric.

Watch and listen to Ron kōrero here.

You can see his mahi currently exhibited at Auckland Art Gallery Toi O Tāmaki as part of Aotearoa Contemporary.

To purchase this AS colour kākahu follow the process on this site - purchase a 'ticket' then buy some merchandise.

PRICES (+ booking fee which goes to Humanitix charity):

• Tīhate (T-shirt); Adult $50/Child $35
• Pōraka (hoodie): Adult $100/Child $55
• Note: Adult sizes and styles are standard male

PRE-ORDERS CLOSE: 30 October at 1000

PICK-UP: Friday 8 November from 2.45 pm outside Te Whānau Awahou, Te Uru Karaka Newton Central, Monmouth street

DELIVERY: Click on the courier charge if you want the order sent to you, and don't forget to leave your address at the end!

If you don't want a kākahu or also want to koha, you can do that too :-).

25% of the profit raised by the sales of the kākahu will go to the artist.

Ngā mihi ki a koutou katoa mō tō tautoko!