Kōrero Toi: Te Ara Tohu

ARTS | ISSUE SEVEN | MATARIKI

Written by Tohu Harris (she/her) | @tohu._.harris | @tohu_wairua_aroha_ | Contributing Writer

Project Introduction 

This practice-led research project explores my identity grounded by my whakapapa Māori and connection to God. I seek to find harmony between these two worlds, culture and religion, establishing wairua as the common thread that binds them both. I navigate the complexities of this multi-dimensional state of being through painting and videography, highlighting the wairua that exists in waiata, in the whenua and therefore within me. 

Using whenua pigments collected from my mārae in Mōtukaraka, and documenting mundane moments of home life in Mangamuka, I ground my practice in whakapapa. These modes of making provide two different perspectives: a public perception and one that is more personal, showcasing how I engage with my whānau, in wairua and worship of Ātua Māori and God. Rather than positioning these worlds in opposition, this project identifies wairua as the connective thread that binds them together, through painting, photography, storytelling and the gathering of whenua pigments. I investigate how identity is formed relationally through land, memory, and spirituality. Mana Whenua and Mana Moana are integral to our existence, and when confronting my own existence, I return home both physically and spiritually. 

The use of whenua pigments grounds me in my whakapapa, while videography captures the people and places that shape who I am. Together, they create a holistic practice where painting and video inform and extend one another. When paired with painting, video brings life to the work, turning  whenua into flesh and forming a living practice. Lively, organic materials combined with a “breathing” projection simulate life itself. 

Introducing The Installation

“Mate atu he toa ara, mai he toa”, ‘When one warrior falls, another rises.’

This exhibition is titled “Te Ara Tohu” and is a tribute to my Papa Zona who passed on 3rd June 2026; one week before my installation. Ozogna Harris, also known as Zac Harris, was born on 10th May 1946 and lived a storied life. The event of my papa's passing impacted me in many different ways and influenced the structure of my exhibition: not only losing a loved one, but the life of a storied man. The space is intended as a place for my whānau to sit and grieve, and I curated it for my whānau to view. The exhibit consists of 22 A5 whenua paintings and 2 projections. The 22 paintings reflect me as a 22 year old and the paintings are hung in specific spaces; the lower paintings are hung at the same height as my Nana and the higher paintings are hung at the height of my uncles. My whānau were not able to make it physically, but their presence exists in the projections, and in the text shown in the videos, and the sound of my mother singing envelops the space. As we near Matariki, I think of the star Pōhutukawa that will rise in the early morning, I think of the journey my papa is on as he makes his way to Te Rerenga Wairua, where he will meet the pōhutukawa tree that clings to the cliff face. I encourage you, the reader, to hold your whānau close this new year and come together to celebrate life and those who are waiting for us in Te Ao Wairua.