Knowra Whakairo Whakairo Whakairo is the Māori practice of carving and ornamenting wood, stone, bone, and other materials. Its forms and motifs can express whakapapa, ancestral narratives, identity, and relationships.
Whakapapa : Whakapapa is the Māori system of genealogy and relational knowledge connecting people, ancestors, places, and the natural world. Carved figures and patterns can make genealogical relationships visible.
Pounamu : Pounamu is a group of treasured greenstone minerals found in New Zealand, valued by Māori for tools, ornaments, and heirlooms. Carvers shape this durable stone into valued objects and ornaments.
Wharenui : A wharenui is a Māori meeting house that serves as a communal, ceremonial, and ancestral space on a marae. Its carved structure can represent an ancestor and tell a community’s history.
Pine Taiapa : Pine Taiapa was a Māori master carver and teacher who helped sustain and transmit whakairo in the twentieth century. His teaching helped maintain carving knowledge across generations.
Māori art : Māori art comprises visual and material practices developed by Māori communities, including carving, weaving, painting, and performance. Whakairo is one distinctive practice within this broader artistic tradition.
Wood carving : Wood carving is the shaping of wood with cutting tools to create forms, images, or ornament. It is the material process underlying many forms of whakairo.
Marae : A marae is a Māori communal complex centered on an open meeting ground and associated buildings. Whakairo shapes important buildings and spaces within marae.
Hone Taiapa : Hone Taiapa was a Māori carver and teacher known for his role in the revival and instruction of whakairo. His work connected carving practice with formal teaching and wider public attention.
Mana : Mana is a Māori concept of authority, prestige, spiritual power, and influence grounded in relationships and conduct. Carving can embody the standing and authority of people, ancestors, and communities.
Māori carving tools : Māori carving tools include traditional stone, shell, and bone implements as well as later metal tools. Tool materials and edges determine how carved surfaces and details are produced.
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