Ko wai au? Who am i?
Ko Harikoa Taueki-Stott taku ingoa. He uri tēnei nō Taranaki, Muaūpoko, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga anō hoki.
Atu i te ringatoi, he māmā hoki au. Tokotoru ngā tamariki āku.
Ihaia Arts was created by Harikoa Taueki-Stott.
Besides being an artist, I am also a māmā of 3 tamariki.
The name ‘IHAIA’ comes from my tupuna, Ihaia Taueki nō Muaūpoko and my daughter, Hinakahuawe Ihaia who also carries the name of her tupuna.
Uku, kōkōwai & pigments from the land.
Gathered with intention, permission and tikanga. Karakia are offered, our atua acknowledged, and only what is needed is taken from the whenua. Each pigment is then carefully ground by hand and mixed into paint, carrying with it the whakapapa, mauri and connection of where it came from.
If you would like to know more about the tikanga, cultural significance and historical context of uku, kōkōwai and Māori earth pigments, Kauae Raro Research Collective offer a rich range of reading material, guides, resources and connections to other ringatoi Māori (Māori artists) working with earth pigments.