April 20, 2022
Whakairo opens door for Singapore
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has unveiled a carving at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay celebrating the long-standing friendship between Aotearoa New Zealand and the city state.
Tāne Te Waiora was carved by a team at the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute in Rotorua led by master carver James Rickard.
Ms Ardern says the kūwaha or symbolic doorway is a metaphor for Aotearoa’s reconnection with Singapore and the rest of the world.
The presence on the kūwaha of Hina, represented by the moon, and Tāne, represented by the crops, are also significant as they symbolise a relationship of trust and reciprocity – defining features of New Zealand’s relationship with Singapore.
The Prime Minister and Trade Minister Damien O’Connor are leading a trade mission to support New Zealand’s economic rebuild following the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Yesterday she met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Halimah Yacob.