Kanohi

This course will use portraits as the stimulus to make and talk about artworks. We will look at a variety of artists from historical to contemporary that use the face [Kanohi] as their subject matter.

To Māori, the Kanohi is considered a tapu, or sacred, part of the body. in the video, Dr. Rangimarie Turuki Rose Peri shares the significance of the Hongi [pressing of noses] and the spiritual connection that the face has to Maori Tapu.

We will use a variety of materials and media to explore a range of art techniques. You will be assessed through Focus studies where you will apply learned skills in media.

Mokomokai, or Toi moko,

are the preserved heads of Māori, where the faces have been decorated by tā moko tattooing. They became valuable trade items during the Musket Wars of the early 19th century.