Pūrākau Māori

Why I make Māori Mythic Illustrations.

What are Pūrākau Māori?

Stories, legends, mythology, adventures?  They ARE all of these.  But they are even more.  Pūrākau are containers of knowledge, using metaphors to make knowledge more interesting and interesting to remember.

They hold ways of thinking, behaving and ways of understanding.

They teach us how to be brave, how to be clever, how to make decisions under pressure, how to deal with loss, challenge and uncertainty.

And more than that - they help answer a bigger question - Ko wai tātou? Who are we?

Because inside these pūrākau.. You’ll find patterns of our people.  You'll see our values.  Our whakaaro.  Our ways of moving through the world.

So it is important to carry on these legends.  So we can understand a little better who we are, not only as Māori but as New Zealanders, and that YOU can keep them alive for your mokopuna.

When I read these stories, I am first entertained first, but as the esoteric knowledge seeps into my mind, the education follows.  Pūrākau Māori are full of great adventures, quests and fantasy beings.  But they also reveal messages of what was, and is, considered right and wrong.  They can also teach us how to deal with situations we come across.

Here's my first example - 

Aboard Nukutaimemeha, Māui and his brothers are tormented by Tangaroa. Māui calms the atua, with song.

Te Ngāoriori a Māui

When Māui was a baby, floating on the ocean after his mother thought he was stillborn, he was rescued by Tawhirimatea and Tangaroa.  With the help of both atua, he was washed ashore at his grandfather's Tamanuikiterangi island home.  Here Tamanuikiterangi raised him, but he was not alone.  Tānemahuta became fond of the boy, as did Tangaroa.  They both gave him sacred knowledge they passed on to no other human.  

Tangaroa in particular was very fond of Māui, or Mauiui as he originally named him, and showed him his creations and gave him the gift to breathe under water and shapeshift into sea creatures.  Tangaroa wished for Mauiui to stay with him in his domain, but Māui wanted to know more about his people and refused this offer.  This upset Tangaroa.

Many years later, Māui creates the waka, Nukutaimemeha, to retrieve one of Tangaroa's creations he saw when he was a pēpī.  He took three of his 4 brothers, and boarded the magical waka, which was able to move by itself, and knew the way to the sacred place of Tangaroa.

Tangaroa noticed the crew but did not know Māui's plan. Angry with Māui for not accepting his offer, he tormented the brothers. Tossing them about with his hand.  Māui-Tikitiki-a-Taranga was angry and began to chant. Māui chanted Tangaroa's song. Tangaroa sent his monsters from the deep to stop the chant, but Māui kept chanting. The monsters from the deep reared their heads and terror filled the hearts and minds of the brothers, and they cried out “Aue!, Aue!, We are going to die!” But the monsters from the deep fled in fear when they heard the chant. Tangaroa paused in his anger, and listened to the chant. Mauiui was singing to him, Māui was asking him for life. Then the song changed, and Mauiui sang to Tangaroa about the love between a human child, and a powerful god. Tangaroa nodded his head sadly as he heard the song, so Tangaroa sent Mauiui's old playmates to sing with him, and then he withdrew from the fishing ground. 

So this moment in the story enchants an epic visual of Tangaroa and the crew of Nukutaimemeha, but that is only one thing that attracted me to this scene. This emotional beat, Maui singing a lullaby that tames the fury of the atua.  It is not strength or might that Maui uses to solve this hostile situation, its kupu, its waiata.

Whaitiri brings in her kupenga with her soon to be devoured catch.

Te Kupenga a Whaitiri

Long ago, Whaitiri, the atua of thunder, lived in the overworld with her husband and children. Whaitiri was a grim figure, and had a habit her husband did not share, the taste for human flesh.

One day she heard of a man named Kaitangata - which means man eater - living in Te Ao Marama, Earth, and felt like he would be a more fitting mate for her.  She descended to Earth and met Kaitangata.  Now, he was a gentle man, already married with children, who spent his days fishing to feed his family.  Whaitiri killed her slave and took out her heart and liver and gave them to Kaitangata as a token of her affection. Kaitangata was horrified.

Kaitangata wasn't the best fisherman, as he did not know of the art of making fish hooks with barbs.  Whaitiri saw the reason for his failure and gave him her own barbed fish hook.  While fish was a fine diet for humans, Whaitiri was not satisfied.  One day, when Kaitangata was away fishing and out of sight, she grabbed her net and swam out to a waka where two of Kaitangata's relatives were fishing.  Whaitiri clutched the side of the waka and thrust her tao into him.  He fell into the water and she put him into her net.  The other man tried to kill her with his spear but Whaitiri killed him with her Kōripi and he too fell overboard and was gathered in her net.

She dragged the bodies in her net to shore, and went up to the village to tell the women to bring her net ashore.  To their horror, they saw the dead bodies.  Soon after, Kaitangata returned and he too was horrified at what he found.

Whaitiri requested Kaitangata to recite the karakia that were used when human flesh was offered to the gods, but he did not know them, and eventually she performed them herself.  But even she did not know the proper words, and failed in lifting the tapu.

In time, this act caused Whaitiri to gradually lose her sight until she became blind.

So an epic and horrific scene that easily caught my mind's eye and stuck with me.  But eventually I noticed some esoteric knowledge buried in this tale.  Whaitiri makes a big assumption that Kaitangata is a man eater.  Maybe if she got to know him before committing to this marriage things may have turned out differently.  Also, when she fails to recite the proper incantations and follow the right protocol, she is then faced with her repercussions.  

Onboard the legendary waka, Matahourua, Kupe slays the magical wheke with Rakatuwhenua.

Te Wheke a Muturangi

Kupe was a powerful chief with great mana that spread across the pacific.  But he also had powerful enemies, one of which was Muturangi, who had a giant Octopus(wheke) as a pet.

Muturangi devised a plan that would curb the mana of Kupe in the eyes of his own people, the people would starve and Kupe would lose his mana. 

When out fishing with his people, Kupe could not catch any fish and noticed the giant wheke was to blame.  Kupe was told by his tohunga that he would have to kill the wheke to restore the ocean bounty.  Excited by this challenge, Kupe gathered his whānau and they prepared the great waka Matahourua.  

The wheke was chased across the pacific until eventually Kupe's second wife, Kuramarotini, caught a glimpse of something on the horizon.  “ E Kupe” she called “he ao, he ao, he aotearoa! (a cloud, a cloud, a long white cloud)

Kupe found the wheke hiding in a cave where she had laid her eggs but she escaped Kupe's wrath.  The chase continued and at last the foamy trail of the wheke turned in towards land at one of the many entrances to a wilderness of inlets.  The wheke had made a mistake- she was trapped in the sound known to this day as Whekenui.  

With shouts and screams, the crew closed in, beating, chopping and stabbing at the tentacles, trying to reach the head of the wheke. The magic power of the wheke enabled her to heal quickly.  She lifted people out of the waka and flung them far off onto rocks or held them under water to choke and drown. The sea frothed with a mixture of human and wheke blood.  Many of the crew now struggled in the water, easy prey.

Kupe shouted for gourds.  He quickly lashed them together with flax rope and threw them into the waves to look like men's heads.  The wheke, believing them to be more heads to attack, knotted her tentacles around them to drown them. While she was thus occupied, Matahourua came up alongside her, Kupe raised Rakatuwhenua and brought it down on the head of the wheke, full force, cleaving it and leaving a bloody, slaughtered creature floating softly on the red water.

The magic of Rakatuwhenua had defeated the power of the wheke.  A great cheer went up from the exhausted warriors.  

Kupe’s journey connects with us as a metaphor for the struggle against adversity and the pursuit of knowledge. It teaches us courage, leadership and the ability to find one’s way through both the stars and spiritual guidance.

Tāwhaki and Karihi clash with the creatures from the sea, Ponaturi.

Ka Whiti te ao i te Pō

Tāwhaki is not as well known as Māui, but he is a legend of equal mana.  Through his many adventures he achieved many great deeds and even became an atua.  

Tāwhaki is told of an attack on his parents’ pākainga. With that news comes an even greater loss: the death of his father, Hema, and the capture of his mother, Urutonga, by the Ponaturi.

Determined to act, Tāwhaki and his teina Karihi set out and eventually discover Manawatāne, the hidden dwelling of the Ponaturi. There they are reunited with their mother. Urutonga warns them of the cruelty of the Ponaturi and urges them to leave while they still can. She tells them of the Ponaturi’s sick amusement — how they rattle Hema’s bones on the porch of Manawatāne.

Tāwhaki refuses to retreat. He is resolute in freeing his mother and avenging his father.

Urutonga explains that the Ponaturi are creatures of the sea by day, but come ashore at night to sleep. It is her duty to warn them before dawn so they can return to the moana. Hearing this, Tāwhaki immediately understands the nature of the beings they face and devises a plan.

Through karakia, Tāwhaki and Karihi cloak themselves in invisibility and hide within the ceiling of Manawatāne. When the Ponaturi return in their hordes, the brothers descend from their hiding place. Together with Urutonga, they block the windows and doors.

As the Ponaturi ask whether it is time to rise, Urutonga replies: “No. It is the big night, the long night — the night when sleep is good. Go back to sleep.”

When Tamanuiterā stands high in the sky and the Ponaturi ask again, she finally answers yes.

At that moment, Tāwhaki and Karihi tear away the coverings from the windows and doors. Daylight floods Manawatāne, and the Ponaturi are destroyed by the sun. The brothers then burn Manawatāne and destroy the remains of the Ponaturi, ending their terror.

One of my favourite moments in pūrākau is the battle between Tāwhaki and the ponaturi.  Not only does it have the revenge story arc, but powerful creatures that come out at night, heroic cunning but even more.  Tāwhaki and Karihi dont simply battle the ponaturi, they use strategy, knowledge and cunning.

Why I make Pūrākau Posters?

Pūrākau māori are special to me for many reasons.  Firstly, they help me connect to my tīpuna, as these are their stories in which they passed on knowledge.  This helps me understand, Ko wai au? Who am I?, a little better.  These stories are now ours, not to hold onto, but to keep alive and pass on to the next generation.  This helps give me purpose.  And that also makes these stories unique to us, stories that belong to us, stories we can enjoy that are not from Hollywood but right here in Aotearoa.  And last but definitely not least,  these stories are full of magic, monsters and great heroes, everything a fantasy buff needs from a story. 

Figuring It Out on the Wall

A mural journey full of firsts, failures, and small wins

Kia ora e te whānau,

I was blessed with the opportunity to be commissioned for a mural inside an office space used to upskill people. Straight away, I knew this one was going to push me. New space, new tools, new problems — exactly the kind of challenge I need.

The room itself was plain white. Clean, but missing something. It needed wairua. The vision was clear though — three legends who changed the world in their own way: Bruce Lee, Bob Marley, and Kobe Bryant. Behind them, a bold splash of colour, and quotes to carry their whakaaro into the space.

Simple idea… not so simple to execute.

Projector Setup with skylights blocked up.

I’ve painted portraits before, so I was confident there. But everything else was new. Spray paint indoors wasn’t going to work — too many fumes, and the scale didn’t suit it. The wall was smaller than what I’m used to. No ladder, tighter space. That alone told me I had to switch things up.

So I landed on using an airbrush.

Something I had never properly used before.

Colour work? Not really my lane either.
Text? Never done it.

Sweet as.

Of course I said yes anyway.

Masked the sketches so I could paint background.

I knew I’d figure it out. I’ve spent years watching mural artists, picking things up without even realising. When it’s your passion, that kind of knowledge just sits there waiting to be used. So I got into research mode.

After long days painting at the Upper Hutt Tigers clubrooms, I’d come home and watch airbrushing videos, trying to understand what I actually needed — especially from artists like CORRADOMURALS. The tricky part was translating all of that into something I could actually get here in Aotearoa. Different products, different setups… it took days to figure out what paint and gear would work.

Eventually everything arrived.

And I did what I always seem to do when something new shows up — I left it in the box. Told myself I’d finish the Tigers mural first. Looking back, that wasn’t the move.

By the time I finally opened everything, I had about a week before starting the job. I thought I’d get a few solid practice runs in. Instead, I ran straight into problems.

The hose didn’t fit the compressor. Suddenly I’m learning about couplers and adaptors like I’ve been doing this for years — except I haven’t. I ordered parts online, waited a few days… wrong parts. Back to figuring it out again.

In the end, I walked into Mitre 10 and found what I needed in about five minutes. Could’ve saved myself some stress there.

When I finally got the airbrush running, I tried to get some practice in. Dots, lines, control… then a portrait. It didn’t look great. I couldn’t get those smooth values I’d seen in videos. Later I realised the artists I’d been watching were using different types of paint — stuff you can build up slowly and even erase. The paint I had was strong, bold, unforgiving.

With everything else going on in life, I barely got half a practice portrait done before it was time to start the actual job. Not ideal… but there was no turning back.

Day one on the wall, I went in ready to sketch using a projector. Straight away, another problem. The skylights made the room too bright to see anything clearly, even with the lights off.

Lucky for me, the team at Pop Training were awesome. They sorted me out with a ladder, some rubbish bags, and tape. Bit of DIY later, skylights were covered and I could finally see what I was doing. Sketch done.

Background painted in with the portraits still to go.

The next day I got stuck into the background. That part was actually fun. Felt like being a kid again, just going for it on the wall without overthinking it.

Then came the real test — the portraits.

I started with Bruce Lee. Took it safe and began with the hair. But I knew the face would expose everything. Right before I started, something clicked.

Instead of trying to copy exactly what I’d seen online, I adjusted it to what I had. I wanted the wall itself to stay as my brightest white, so I thought — what if I just build the values step by step? Start with white, add a drop of black, paint the next layer, then repeat.

Simple idea, but it worked.

Figuring out my method on the fly.

Honestly, it felt like the answer came right when I needed it. I finished that first portrait and just sat there for a moment, buzzing. I’d actually done it.

First airbrush mural completed

The next portrait, Bob Marley, flowed way easier. Everything just clicked. The airbrush behaved, the painting felt smooth, and I even surprised myself with how it turned out.

2 portraits completed.

Then came Kobe. I went in confident… maybe too confident. A few hours in, the airbrush clogged completely. Wouldn’t budge.

So there I was again — back in problem-solving mode. Driving around trying to find what I needed, learning on the spot. Interdental brushes, isopropyl alcohol… even borrowed a wrench from a kind lady at Repco in Petone.

Lost a few hours to that, but I got it going again. Still, I had to call it for the day before finishing Kobe.

The next day, I came in focused. Finished Kobe, and to be honest, it was a tough one — the angle, the expression — but I got it to a place I was happy with.

Three portraits done - lettering to come.

Then I moved onto the lettering.

That’s where things went sideways again.

I tried outlining with charcoal first. Didn’t work. Tried painting it freehand while the projector was up… one letter in and I knew it wasn’t it. Looked rough.

So I stopped. Took a breath. Rethought the plan.

Stencils.

Packed everything up, went home, and got to work. Resizing everything to match the wall took way longer than I expected. Then came cutting.

Stencils applied

From 6pm to 3 in the morning, I sat there cutting out letters. Music playing, podcasts running, just locked in. Long night, but I got there.

The next morning, back on the wall. Stencils up, spray adhesive, paint on.

And yeah… it worked.

Not perfect — a few spots needed touching up — but way better than what I was heading towards before. Definitely worth the late night.

By the end of it all, I was just relieved. Grateful. Proud too, in a quiet way. But more than anything, it was seeing the reaction from the team at Pop Training that stuck with me.

That’s always the best part.

Completed mural of Bruce Lee, Bob Marley and Kobe Bryant.

Seeing people light up, feeling proud of their space, connecting with what’s on the wall — that’s what makes it worth it. Their manaakitanga the whole way through made a big difference too. Makes the hard parts easier when you’re working with good people.

This project stretched me in ways I didn’t expect. New tools, new problems, figuring things out on the go. But that’s where the growth is.

Grateful to God for the strength to push through each challenge, and for the lessons that came with it.

On to the next one.

Honouring Legacy in Paint

Four New Murals for Upper Hutt Tigers Rugby League Club

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the privilege of completing another mural wall for the Upper Hutt Tigers Rugby League Club — four portraits painted on the papatākaro side of the building, honouring men who wore both the Tigers jersey and represented Aotearoa as New Zealand Kiwis.

Each wall stands as a tribute to:

• Dave Ewe – A powerful forward who represented the Kiwis in the 1970s, known for his strength and commitment in the pack.

• Esene Faimalo – A dynamic loose forward who played for the Kiwis during the 1980s and brought flair and toughness to every game.

• Mark Woods – A skilled and determined representative player who carried both club pride and national responsibility.

• Peter Edwards – A strong presence on the field, contributing at both club and international level during his career.

These men are more than athletes. They represent commitment, sacrifice, leadership, and pride — values that continue to shape the Tigers club culture today.

This wasn’t my first time painting for the Tigers. Back in 2022, I created my first community mural for the club, honouring:

• Syd Eru

• Mike Kuiti

• Morvin Edwards

• Kevin Tamati

That project was my first real taste of how public art can positively impact a community. I’ll share more about that journey in a future post, but it changed something in me. I saw firsthand how art can uplift, affirm identity, and give people something tangible to feel proud of.

This latest mural wall was blessed by local kaumātua Georgie Hinaki during the club’s 65th anniversary celebrations. Past and present players gathered alongside whānau and friends. There was laughter, storytelling, remembrance — and deep pride.

I had the opportunity to speak and express my gratitude to the club for trusting me to help honour the legacy of these men. To contribute in some small way to something that carries decades of history means a lot to me.

One moment that will stay with me forever was watching a whānau stand before one of the portraits and deliver a haka to their loved one as he stood beside his mural. It was powerful. Raw. Beautiful. In that moment, the wall was no longer paint and concrete — it was living memory.

Seeing the reaction to the work reminded me why I create.

Knowing that I can contribute positively to a community through art — that’s what drives me. Whether it’s murals, prints, or comics, my goal is always the same: to honour legacy, tell stories well, and leave something behind that strengthens people.

I’m grateful to the Upper Hutt Tigers for the opportunity, and I look forward to continuing to create work that uplifts our communities.