Xoë Hall reflects on her mural about Tāwhaki’s journey to the celestial realm and the knowledge he gains on the way.

✿ How did the commission for the Ōtago Uni Tāwhiki mural come about?

Kitty Brown of Mana Ahurea team at Aukaha in Ōtepoti, Dunedin, reached out to propose a Tāwhaki mural especially for the heart of the campus. I was given a brief based on Te Waiatatanga Mai o te Atua by Matiaha Tiramorehu, a Kāi Tahu understanding of Tāwhaki and his epic story. I had previously painted a chapter within my DPAG mural installation “Boodline – The Return”, so I was excited to delve deeper into this pūrakau.

✿ What was the inspiration for the design?

As with all my work, I wanted to create a visual story that speaks to our generation and the ones to come. One that is told in vibrant and bold colours with the hope it will attract the viewer to stop and want to know more, and find a part of themselves in that story, or learn lessons from an ancient past that they can take forward into the future, and also pass down. I work in Galleries and the Streets of Aotearoa doing this, and the opportunity to do this in the heart of a place of learning was not to be missed.

✿ What is its story and what does it tell us today?

Over the four walls, I have represented milestones in the story of Tāwhaki. I named the work “Realms of Wisdom”, by Xoë Hall (Kāi Tahu, Te Rakiamoa, Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki)

Realm 1
Tāwhaki meets Ruahinematamorari, who dwells at the base of the celestial realm and holds the keys to mātauraka and celestial knowledge. Tāwhaki restores her sight, and in return, Ruahinamatamorari opens her throat and releases a spider web upon which Tāwhaki begins to climb in his ascent to the heavens.

Realm 2
Amidst a profusion of challenges sent forth by te taiao (the natural environment) and exposed to the elements, our hero Tāwhaki holds on and grows stronger. He sees two wāhine (maidens) washing their hair—but they pay him no mind. He meets a tuna (eel) on his own quest to find fresh water and absorbs his mātauraka (knowledge and wisdom); he grows stronger again.

Realm 3
He happens upon the House of Bones, where the bones of his father Hema hang. Tāwhaki gathers together the threads of wisdom and celestial knowledge from his climb, he has gained and harnessed great power through his journeys and defeats his fathers enemies.

Realm 4
Under the watchful gaze of Rehua, Tāwhaki transcends the tribulations of mortality and shapeshifts into an Atua (celestial being) forevermore. This is the ultimate transformation for Tāwhaki, who now emanates wisdom from his puku (gut), his sight, voice, and hearing.

✿ How did you go about making the mural?

I was provided a brief that included example photos of the new layout and design of the space. So I incorporated the palette provided, mixed with my usual neons and brights, and conjured up a very loose concept. I say loose because when I’m actually standing in front of and spending time weaving colours onto a wall, things change, characters and details that weren’t there before present themselves, and I bring them through. The team were gracious in booking my flights and accommodation, they even catered for me to be able to bring my son, Wiremu and caregiver, which is always a huge weight off mentally. So by the time I arrived, I had everything I needed to just get into the mahi. I had some wonderful volunteers helping at various points when I needed blocking in so I could focus on details. The team looking after me showed huge manaaki, and that allows the best work to come through. Each job is different, but this is even more so as I never went to university, nor stepped foot in one (I am self-taught). It’s sure not like the movies; they were all so young and smart, driven! It was cool to see.

✿ Your website describes you as a “painter of pūrākau”. How do you source traditional stories?

I grew up hearing many pūrākau from my dad, let’s call him Bush Rat Bill (Kai Tahu). He was also an artist and an amazing storyteller, and I was obsessed. I am seeing it in my son now, he is three and poring over the Peter Gossage Maui books without blinking, as I used to do, actually still do! So over the years, I have been naturally drawn to pūrākau like a little time traveller, imagining worlds and Atua, getting goosebumps when I can feel or see a modern interpretation of mana wāhine and Atua wāhine that had previously been told from a male perspective (often a white one).

I wanted to tell their stories from a modern woman’s perspective, and reclaim spaces, like boring colonised grey and white walls on city streets, painting them larger than life like the Gods they are! I always look for as many versions of a particular story when I want to represent one. I have many great books, as do my friends. The library and the internet also offer some amazing essays and other little treasures. Then I take the essence of the story and weave it all together, keeping in mind each Iwi has their own version and wanting to honour that.

About Xoë Hall

Xoë Hall (Kāi Tahu,Te Rakiamoa, Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki) is a creator of large subversive hand-painted murals with her work found in many major art galleries, museums and universities around Aotearoa. Her vivid re-imaginings of Atua Wāhine and the stories of our indigenous people come to life as giants reclaiming Aotearoa’s colonised grey walls, streets and buildings. In her unique hybrid of work, legends, idols and worlds collide with 80’s fashion inspiration and torches of flaming fingernails. The taniwha superpowers intertwine her pieces as she pushes through multi-dimensional ancestral portals, enhancing all senses with the past as a guide to the future. Visit @xoehall.com and follow @hall_of_xoe

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Aotearoa | G40 | Māori | sky | street