Mana Tiki
24" x 30", acrylic and oil on canvas, 2025
Rooted in my heritage as a New Zealander, Mana Tiki draws on the ubiquitous tiki figure found across the South Pacific—both protector and trickster. I painted this little guardian from memory; he’s lived on my studio wall for years, quietly watching over my creative process.
The swirling greens and playful eyes speak to the ancestral spirit of the tiki, while the gilded background, echoing the woven tukutuku panels of the Wharenui (Māori meeting house), honors the sacred architecture of my lineage. I named him Mana Tiki after my favorite word in te reo Māori—mana—a concept that speaks to the intrinsic dignity, power, and presence within all things.
24" x 30", acrylic and oil on canvas, 2025
Rooted in my heritage as a New Zealander, Mana Tiki draws on the ubiquitous tiki figure found across the South Pacific—both protector and trickster. I painted this little guardian from memory; he’s lived on my studio wall for years, quietly watching over my creative process.
The swirling greens and playful eyes speak to the ancestral spirit of the tiki, while the gilded background, echoing the woven tukutuku panels of the Wharenui (Māori meeting house), honors the sacred architecture of my lineage. I named him Mana Tiki after my favorite word in te reo Māori—mana—a concept that speaks to the intrinsic dignity, power, and presence within all things.
24" x 30", acrylic and oil on canvas, 2025
Rooted in my heritage as a New Zealander, Mana Tiki draws on the ubiquitous tiki figure found across the South Pacific—both protector and trickster. I painted this little guardian from memory; he’s lived on my studio wall for years, quietly watching over my creative process.
The swirling greens and playful eyes speak to the ancestral spirit of the tiki, while the gilded background, echoing the woven tukutuku panels of the Wharenui (Māori meeting house), honors the sacred architecture of my lineage. I named him Mana Tiki after my favorite word in te reo Māori—mana—a concept that speaks to the intrinsic dignity, power, and presence within all things.