Wellington artists put final touches on Matariki-inspired mural
The Dreamgirls Art Collective has completed a new mural in Wellington inspired by the nine stars of Matariki. The project, a collaboration with Pandora, aims to empower women and celebrate Māori culture.
Why it matters
The mural serves as a cultural landmark that blends traditional Māori astronomical significance with modern urban art and corporate partnership.
A collective of Wellington artists have put the final touches on a larger-scale mural inspired by the stars of Matariki.
Dreamgirls Art Collective, made up of artists Miriama Grace-Smith, Xoë Hall and Gina Kiel, collaborated with jewellery brand Pandora to create the mural at the intersection of Ghuznee and Leeds Streets in central Wellington.
Miriama Grace-Smith (Ngāti Toa, Ngāpuhi, Te Arawa, Ngāti Porou) said it was important to them that the collaboration celebrated Matariki in some form.
"Then we thought of the idea of the parts of the wahine in the mural being elements of being a star. So there's parts in the mural that are elements of each star," Grace-Smith said.
The artwork depicts a modern wahine from Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington surrounded by symbols inspired by each of the nine stars and their unique meanings.
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