July 06, 2023
Tukutuku puts mall in Matariki mood
A community art piece is taking form at The Base in Hamilton to celebrate Matariki.
Visitors to the shopping centre are invited to help fill in a four metre tukutuku, Ko Matariki te Kairuuri, which was designed by Manawa Tapu from Te Aupouri and Te Rarawa and the team at Maori creative agency Ira.
Base marketing manager Stacey Kitchen says because the shopping complex is half-owned by Waikato-Tainui, the seven panels draw on the Tainui narrative about Matariki.
“There is the stars in the sky followed by at the bottom there is the different mountains located in Waikato and then there is the awa through the middle so they symbolise the importance of the narrative for Matariki to Waikato Tainui,” she says.
Visitors to the centre are invited to participate from 10am-4pm daily through to July 16.