Tōku Awa Print

This is one of three artworks in a series by Damen Joe (Tainui) and Amy Joe (Ngāti Kahungunu). The three pieces represent three important forms of the Māori pepeha — a recitation that connects the speaker to their whakapapa (ancestry), and the lands to which they belong.

The maunga (mountains) are the physical presence that connect one to the land - rising from the horizon they are the landmarks that anchor our home; the awa (rivers) flow through this land, nourishing and providing life; and the waka (canoe) connects us with our ancestors whose journeys we are a part of.

These forms within a pepeha may be recited in order to create a shared connection with others, and these artworks are offered as a reminder of that shared connection between us all.

Damen and Amy are Auckland based artists who create work that plays with the memorabilia of their childhoods and explores the relationship they have to their Māori heritage. 

Paper Size
Fits 8” x 10” frame

Printed Area
12.3cm x 17.4cm