Competition

Prize 2 – Arorangi – Aspiration

Carving – 10 inch x 9 inch. Mdf and Totara

Titled Arorangi – Aspiration

Prize 1 – Tui

Canvas 36 x 12 inches titled Tui

Daniel Ormsby

Daniel is a painter, Whakairo (traditional Maori carver), Ta Moko (traditional Maori tattooist) and educator based in Waitomo.

Art is a way of life for Daniel , a life long passion, particularly within the Maori art arena. It is through tradition and cultural responsibilities that he has found his place and purpose in the world, with a multitude of mediums available to record and preserve tribal history, whakapapa (genealogy) and religious or spiritual beliefs.

Daniel is driven by the journey to discover and push through creative boundaries as well as the excitement of watching things develop from an idea into a reality. The responsibility of being in charge of his creative vision, knowing that his art and his actions will go on to inspire others, are all facets of his approach to art. Through his reserved approach, Daniel has learnt to observe, understand and collate ideas and it is through his artistic interpretation that he has found a voice that can be heard.

Black Flax Ltd

Black Flax Ltd’s vision is to increase cultural awareness, understanding and tikanga with a larger and more diverse community of people and work towards traditional restoration and preservation. In doing this we will create healthy environments and healthy people by enabling hāpu to become kaitiaki over our natural environments and resources.

A core value of our Black Flax whānau, is our responsibility to pass on the skills and knowledge of our ancestors. Part of this responsibility is our commitment to empower our staff to engage in the tikanga and kawa of our natural resources, to ensure these practices are upheld within our people.

Black Flax Purpose – Reconnecting and restoring our ancestral knowledge and traditions

Black Flax Mission – Inspire and encourage our communities to appreciate, understand, restore and protect our traditional resources of our cultural heritage

Black Flax Vision – Reconnecting and restoring our ancestral knowledge and traditions

Wakahuia with stainless steel kowhaiwhai set

Wakahuia with stainless steel kowhaiwhai set

Wakahuia was traditionally a vessel (waka) for the precious tail feathers of the Huia bird (now extinct). They are now used to keep your precious jewellery and other taonga (treasures) inside. 

This wakahuia has been beautifully handcarved with a tiki design – with paua inlaid for the eyes.

Type of Wood: Kauri, Carved in Rotorua, Product width: 9cm

Product height: 21cm

Ko Awa te Ngakau

  • open edition no. 6 .
  • Ko Awa te Ngakau two linocut blocks,
  • ist block inked as a blend, on Harakeke paper. 35×50 cm
  • The wellbeing of the land and waters being essential for the health of the people. 

Tern and return

  • 25 x 35 cm Reduction lino cut – five ink layers on Fabriano paper.
  • About journeys, inspired by migration stories, navigating by the stars, migratory birds, and wave patterns

Ko Awa te Ngakau

  • open edition no. 6
  • two linocut blocks, ist block inked as a blend, on Harakeke paper.
  • 35×50 cm
  • The well-being of the land and waters is essential for the health of the people. 

Dog Dreaming (blue) 

Woodcut, with stencil, pen, some hand colouring on Stonehenge paper

From time to time, over many years ‘Kuri’ is seen in my work, sometimes as a small detail, other times Kuri is the focus.,This faithful being has walked with us through many journeys throughout history, He’s in many of our stories both from the mists of time and current ones from the present. He’s guardian, protector, companion and mate..

Inspired by ‘Toby’ an elegant large black Labrador-cross at Rawene. Who would monitor the cars crossing over in the ferry, checking to see they were all tika. As he’d watch and sometimes chase the seagulls and other birds as the boat pulled out, I imagined what he might be dreaming of. In this image, it’s ‘If I could fly higher than an eagle