Kōkōwai on paper.

Kōkōwai sourced from Ngāti Kahu whenua.

This work dipicts a kōngahungahu (unborn baby, infant) held within the kōpū (womb), while a pūmotomoto descends to recite whakapapa to the pēpi. The circular form represents the kōpū as a whare tangata (house of man), a sacred space of creation.

The pūmotomoto is a taonga puoro (traditional Māori instrument) traditionally played over the puku of a pregnant woman, and later over the pūmotomoto (fontanelle) of the newborn baby. Through sound and vibration, whakapapa (genealogy, history) and mauri (life force) are instilled into the child.

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