Abstract
Through painting, I reflect on the introspective and embodied spaces created by sustained engagement with three ancestral oceanic practices: surfing (whakahekengaru), voyaging (hekenga), and diving (ruku). This project was prompted by ongoing relocations, both internationally and within Aotearoa, and grew from a desire to establish continuity and connection across shifting geographical landscapes and cultural dislocations. I examine the historical significance of each practice within te ao Māori and their contemporary reinterpretations in post-colonial Aotearoa today. Employing painted magical realism to construct layered, cross-generational narratives, I emphasise an intimate relationship with the sea as a vessel for linking past, present, and future. I argue that this connection can facilitate whakapapa Māori reconnection, nurture a sense of place, navigate bicultural identity, and foster environmental kinship.
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author
-
- Belton-Bodsworth, Ngahina
Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- Identifier
- hdl:10292/19961
- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:openrepository.aut.ac.nz:10292/19961