Kowhaiwhai at the Suter

Room 9 went on their first outing for the year to the Suter Art Gallery, also known as Te Aratoi o Whakatū.  We were joined by lots of wonderful parents and grandparents to help us sketch the designs found in the beautiful foyer of the Suter.

We learned that Kowhaiwhai patterns have a lifeline, or heart line.  This recognises the tribe's ancestors, where they have come from and what they mean.  The kowhaiwhai patterns are found in meeting houses on pou and in the rafters.  They consist of a combination of different patterns, such as the Koru, Hei-matau (fish hook), Mangopare (hammerhead), and the Moana (sea).

720p from Kathryn Robertson on Vimeo.