Whenua - Research: the foundation of Wondering Earth and Rākau begins with the whenua and the trees themselves, the traditional knowledge and philosophies shared and new knowledge obtained through observation and practical experiments.
Observation over time is key to new learning and connection. Many hours were spent sitting with the whenua and trees just observing.
Harakeke reminds me of my mother’s hands; each line, embedded with stories. She is the resilient nurturer who stands in all weather.
I love creating wharariki paper. It is so strong, just like it's whanaunga (relation) harakeke, but much easier to process because the leaves are already soft.
This work talks about our evolution from fish and the importance of breath and the support structures in our bodies that support breath.
Gardening and being in nature has taught me to pause, to observe with curiosity, something I learnt as a child when I used to wander (wonder) through the bush alone…
A rākau that I have come to love, that has grown so much in my garden over this last year is Whauwhaupaku.
I often think about how our ancestors were inspired by nature. Their connection to the environment was intricately woven with the roots of ancient trees.
Connection.
Connection to our inner and outer landscapes.
Today I Reflected on the disconnection from the internet. The whole network went down. And I realised, the outer network was down, but the inner landscape was more connected to the outer landscape now, due to there being no internet connection.
When I think about books today, especially those that are handmade, created from scratch, I reflect on what they mean to me.