Maori culture shaped into exhibition | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

Artists and students demonstrated their art on the weekend in the Maori Tu Maori Ora Manawa Ora Whanganui exhibition of Maori art.

The public can view the next demonstrations on September 17 and 18 and the exhibition and sales will be open every day from 10am-4pm until September 23, at the Tupoho Community Complex in Bell St.

Vanessa Pekama is in her second year learning raranga traditional harakeke weaving with tutor Rangimarie Mareikura at Te Wananga o Aotearoa. She said the journey had taught her so many lessons, "not only in raranga but in my personal life".

Ms Pekama is in a class of 20 at the wananga and sat alongside other weavers from her class and those in level four who are taught by Trina Taurua.

The stories that Mahi Uku clay worker Wi Taepa tells about his works lead the listener to an unexpected place of surprise.

Mr Taepa explained that people thought his designs were Maori, and others Aztec or Taiwanese, but some of his works were a simple story about a community that led to "the hole in the wall".

Mr Taepa builds his works by coiling , taking a piece of clay and rolling it into a long strip, adding it to the vesseland building the sides up as he works.

A bird that sits on the desk is a construction lesson to teach English, he says.

Koro George Waretini is a self-taught master carver who admits that at 84 he's now getting a little tired and guides student Werahiko Craven on the whakairo that Koro has drawn.

Traditional and contemporary Ta Moko tattooist Nahina Gardiner worked on Fred Wroe's puhoro, the whakapapa about his life as a carver, while Quinton Wallace stretched the skin.

Real Whanganui Festival: Maori Tu Maori Ora, Rangahaua, Tupoho Community Complex, 97 Bell St.