The Inside Story

During the first lockdown, Liam Makawe was struggling with issues of identity, especially around his Māori heritage. Feeling unable to share his thoughts, he headed for the garage and started painting.

He later saw how people connected with his work, and realised how powerful it can be to use art to process personal issues. This understanding inspired him to lead a seven-week art project, designed to support Tauranga rangatahi (youth).

“It’s about how valuable it is to share personal stories, thoughts and feelings through art, Liam explains. “The project empowered students by having a safe environment where they can be as
open or reserved as they please, a space with no judgement or expectations, and where they can connect with the community.”

Remaker sustainability hub was central to the project and, fittingly, only recycled and donated materials were used to create the works. Bed sheets from op shops were used in place of canvas, giving the budding artists a chance to create large-scale works. “Remaker made it possible for me
to get the Creative NZ funding needed to host this project, as well as the physical space to create freely alongside a strong, resilient and supportive team,” says Liam.

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The course offered insights into everything from framing, transporting and curating art, to events
and community work. You can now head along to Remaker to see the culmination of the project
in an exhibition called He Tāngata, He Tāngata, He Tāngata — read on for thoughts from some
of the artists involved.

The stories

The Hedigers — Rolph (23), Herman (17) and Lucy (14) — wanted to share the experience of leaving their home in Canada and migrating to Aotearoa a few years ago. Given they are siblings, it’s unsurprising that one of their main take-outs from the project was learning to work together,
allowing each of their voices and artistic ideas to be heard.

“Learning how to incorporate sustainable practices in our art was also a challenge at first, but then we found that we could do a lot more interesting things with materials we don’t normally use,” says Rolph. The final colourful artwork incorporated elements from both countries, such as bear, birds, trees, rivers, snow and stars.

Ella Mae Mcgowan (21) is familiar with taking a sustainable approach to her artwork. She’s usually found creating bespoke hand-bound books from recycled and sustainable products, including materials from nature. During this project she wrangled with the physical challenge of working on a large sheet, but says she learned to go with the flow when her ideas didn’t pan out. “It taught me the importance of doing art for fun as opposed to being so scripted and set with my approach,” she says.

Ella Mae’s piece is called I Find Flight. “The bigger part of the piece is built on the confusion around gender identity, and the way society dictates every element of our lives, down to how we choose to present ourselves to others,” she explains.

Art student Alani McKenzie (18) also found the project gave her a sense of artistic freedom: “I learned … to paint whatever comes to your mind or express what you’ve been feeling that day.” The hunt for upcycled material also led her to meet inspiring people. As for the meaning of her piece: “I’m showing that the whole world is a crazy place; just having to deal with this crazy world we live in.”

He Tāngata, He Tāngata, He Tāngata is on throughout June at Remaker, 27 Spring St, Tauranga

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Photography by ilk

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