New mural telling stories with the message of hope
Artist Mr G worked with local rangatahi
Hope. Sometimes it feels like there just isn’t any. Artist Graham Hoete, known as Mr G (Nga¯ti Awa, Ngai Te Rangi, Nga¯ti Ranginui) knows about hope, and what it feels like to hit rock bottom.
So to come to Tu¯ rangi last week and to produce a mural on the theme of tumanako — hope — was an especially significant project.
Mr G was commissioned to produce the artwork which consists of the single word ‘tumanako’ on the side of the Tu¯wharetoa FM building in the Tu¯rangi town centre by Te Puni Kokiri.
Part of the brief was to engage and inspire rangatahi Ma¯ori through the skill of artistry, by creating a mural that would represent the people, most importantly the rangatahi of Tu¯rangitukuaTu¯wharetoa iwi.
Funded through Te Puni Kokiri’s Rangatahi Suicide Prevention Fund, the project also aims to bring tumanako, or hope, to rangatahi in small towns affected by suicide.
Mr G is a Tauranga-based multidisciplinary artist who does everything from fine art exhibitions in galleries to special interest projects, but he says the tumanako project also reflects his own path.
“The big picture of this kaupapa is my own journey of going through a suicidal point seven years ago and that’s why my heart is invested in this when we talk about hope,” Mr G explained.
“Hope was what stopped me taking my own life and for me it was Iku Karaiti, Jesus Christ.
“When you connect with people heart to heart, when you share your story, that’s what makes this kaupapa real and relevant.”
The journey began when Mr G visited Tu¯rangi in February and held a day-long wananga (workshop) with local rangatahi, brainstorming ideas and sharing his own story. He also spent time with Te Takinga New of Nga¯ti Tu¯ rangitukua to learn about some of the local stories of the area to incorporate into the artwork.
Then Mr G and wife Milly returned to Tu¯rangi last week to begin the mural, with the help of a group of between eight and 12 rangatahi each day.
Milly says the rangatahi worked hard, prepping the wall first with a wash and then painting all the background colours.
Each young person was given a letter to work on, with Mr G then adding the fine details last Thursday. The mural was completed and unveiled last Friday morning.
Tu¯rangi is the first small town to be gifted a mural by Mr G, with the second in Opotiki this week, Milly said.
“It’s really to give rangatahi a voice in their community, provide them a way of bringing something positive. ”
Mr G grew up in Kawerau and says because of that he has a real heart and a passion for young people living in small towns.
He says the tumanako project is all about injecting hope into small towns through mahi toi (art), and using art to communicate ideas from the rangatahi themselves, with each letter telling a story or different concept inside an overall message.
Watching on as Mr G put the final touches to each letter were a group of young wa¯ hine who had been helping through the tumanako project.
They said the message of hope was intended for all of Tu¯ rangi but especially for young people.
“Everyone goes through their own struggles,” said one. “We want to share the different stories in our community, the history and stuff through the letters because each letter has a different meaning.
Turangi has been rocked over the years by a string of suicides among its young people and the rangatahi at the tumanako project had all been affected by it.
“It’s big as,” said one of the size of the problem. “The sad thing is that nobody really talks about it.”
The young wa¯hine said they hoped the mural would remind other young people that there is always hope — tumanako — out there.
“They will be like, there’s the hope there, and they’ll be sitting there trying to find their hope. That’s what I feel like anyway when I look at the wall,” said one.
They also thought the mural would brighten up the town centre which at times can feel empty.