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  • What one question would you add to this interview?
    What motivates you to be an artist? My answer: the prosperity and development of a healthy future for Māori people.
  • Why do FAQs matter?
    FAQs are a great way to help site visitors find quick answers to common questions about your business and create a better navigation experience.
  • What is an FAQ section?
    An FAQ section can be used to quickly answer common questions about your business like "Where do you ship to?", "What are your opening hours?", or "How can I book a service?".
  • Where can I add my FAQs?
    FAQs can be added to any page on your site or to your Wix mobile app, giving access to members on the go.
  • How do I add a new question & answer?
    To add a new FAQ follow these steps: 1. Manage FAQs from your site dashboard or in the Editor 2. Add a new question & answer 3. Assign your FAQ to a category 4. Save and publish. You can always come back and edit your FAQs.
  • How do I edit or remove the 'Frequently Asked Questions' title?
    You can edit the title from the FAQ 'Settings' tab in the Editor. To remove the title from your mobile app go to the 'Site & App' tab in your Owner's app and customize.
  • Can I insert an image, video, or GIF in my FAQ?
    Yes. To add media follow these steps: 1. Manage FAQs from your site dashboard or in the Editor 2. Create a new FAQ or edit an existing one 3. From the answer text box click on the video, image or GIF icon 4. Add media from your library and save.
  • What is missing or lacking from your Bay of Plenty community or environment?
    A compelling and extensive representation of Māori artistic history on the visual landscape. Our environment says a great deal about what we care about and to not bring the continuous stories of Maori to prevalence in our landscape excludes Maori from having a living, breathing relevance as the founding people or tangata whenua of this country. Most people would be oblivious to the monocultural nature of the artistic, architectural and contextual landscape around us but for Maori, with nature as their canvas, they no longer have the authority to vitalise their visual stories as geographical reality and essential being.
  • What are you planning for 2021 that nobody knows about yet?
    Radical change… but I’m not sure what that looks like…
  • Where would you like to live, but have yet to?
    Tahiti
  • What word of advice would you offer an aspiring creative person?
    Finding a reputable course or teacher/mentor is a must, and think ‘creatively’ as this is a state of mind that is eroded constantly by the ways of being within normal everyday society. Question everything because creative thinkers model better ways and better futures.
  • Who are your most favourite or admired figures from history?
    Rua Kenana, the Māori prophet. Te Kooti, prophet and leader who changed the nature of Māori art. Nelson Mandala and Te Hikapuhi of Ngati Pikiao (who was a proud woman tohunga healer and tā moko, and refused to stop practicing even when laws were passed to outlaw Māori practices).
  • In one sentence, can you define art?
    An encoded visual language and repertoire of a cultural person used to challenge and express their beliefs and sense of belonging.
  • Looking back at your childhood self: what one sentence describes that person?
    Insular, shy and over thinker with super observational creative powers because I was an only child in my own world; left to my colouring books, reading and own devices a lot.
  • If the Prime Minister asked you to make up a new policy or law for New Zealand, what would it be?
    That the state would ensure the care of the wellbeing of its citizens and the interests of tangata whenua foremost in all of its policy undertakings.
  • If you had to eat the same meal everyday, what would it be?
    Sounds terrible but I’m a big vegetable fan—and I consume vegetable juice every day. I don’t think I could survive on this alone, so I would have to say fresh fish and mangoes which currently I consume in abundance in Tahiti
  • What's the biggest problem about life in New Zealand? How would you solve it?
    Our society based on the world economic ideology and monetary economy where members of our nation are considered hostile to the state. This breeds mistrust and divisiveness, and creativity is thereby relegated to contra-state behaviour. We should take the lessons of Covid as an opportunity to align more with the philosophies of Finland where the state represents the well-being of its citizens with a social security system to match—to intervene on behalf of the people so friction and inequalities are broken down and creativity, self-sufficiency and respect for the earth underpins our being…
  • Name a few films that you consider profound, moving or extraordinary?
    Rabbit Proof Fence, Malcolm X, Cry Freedom and Avatar (obviously for very different reasons).
  • What is your dream of happiness?
    Painting and swimming in warmth every day
  • What was your first real job, second, third?
    Visual Merchandiser (flash word for window dresser) at D.I.C. Palmerston North, Fashion Designer for Brats Fashion in Palmerston North, Physical Education relief teacher at Stratford High School.
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