Matariki art & design
Te whetū o te tau: The star of the year!
The Starry Night was painted by Vincent van Gogh from memory at The Saint Paul de Mausole asylum in France. If you appreciate design and art commentary maybe it’s time to subscribe to DSAS by clicking this lovely yellow button below:
One day a year there are STARS IN MY EYES because it’s Matariki! In Aotearoa New Zealand, the 28th of June marks the start of the Māori New Year, Matariki. In Te Ao Māori (Māori world), Matariki refers to the open star cluster, also known as the Pleiades, that rises in the sky toward the end of June or the beginning of July. In the following May the setting of Matariki signals the end of harvest and the cold winter coming. Matariki is made up of nine stars Ururangi, Waipuna-ā-rangi, Waitā, Waitī, Matariki, Tupu-ā-rangi and Tupu-ā-nuku, Hiwa-i-te-rangi, and Pōhutukawa. According to Māori astrologer Rangi Matamua, “the different names in the Matariki group are significant for Māori as each individual has a defined purpose and is intrinsically connected to the Māori world.” Matariki: The Star of the Year by Rangi Matamua and Te Papa have excellent descriptions of the stars according to Māori folklore and I would read this as I can’t do it any justice.
The rich story behind Matariki and her eight children has led to some amazing modern art and design. The drawing above by Tuffery is a beautiful example of traditional representations of Matariki. There are also many contemporary interpretations, especially since Matariki became a public holiday in 2022. ‘Matariki’ by Gae Webster below is a painterly abstract vision of the night sky.
Te Haunui Tuna, a tattoo artist, provided his illustrations to ‘Matariki: The Star of the Year’ of the Matariki star cluster. The stars are hyperrealistic yet mystical and are a modern interpretation of Matariki.
Speaking of ‘Starry Night’ by Van Gogh, ‘Matariki’ by rebeccadc used a post-impressionist style for her wood etchings.
Happy Matariki to everybody!
LA: ‘Ed Ruscha / Now Then’, LACMA, Apr 7–Oct 6, 2024
New York: Jenny Holzer: ‘Light Line’, Guggenheim, May 17–September 29
Auckland: Dylan Huata - ‘INTRO-TO-VERT’, Lake House Arts, 06-18 July
Wellington: ‘Ahsin Ahsin: Turbo Croc 2.0’, City Gallery Wellington, from now until Sun 30 June
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Wonderful Matariki art Kim!