Siniva Williams

Mai i te pō, ki te ao mārama: From the darkness into the light.

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Mai i te pō, ki te ao mārama: From the darkness into the light.

Tēvita O. Ka'ili (2016) writes that our connections are maintained through, “…our kinship ties; and our genealogical and oral historical links to ancient gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, cosmologies, and cosmogonies.” Initially, I researched these links as I knew little about my whakapapa (genealogy).


Knowledge and images in my work came together naturally as intricate details emerged from the darkness reconnecting me to my whakapapa. Some may dismiss this as a ‘coincidence.’ But I sensed the wairua (spirit) of my tūpuna, revealing images and names from my whakapapa that I was unaware of.


I created my art intuitively inside my home, channeling my inner mana wahine (powerful woman). I represented my tūpuna through photography and digitally painted on top of each portrait, bringing each atua (goddess) to life. When embodying them, I learnt about their stories and their connection with death and grieved with them. In return, they gave me a taonga (treasure), regaining mana (spiritual power) and reconnecting me with my whakapapa and showing me the light.

09 A3932
Nafanua (2022), archival pigment print on backlit film, LED lightbox, 841 x 1189 mm.
09 A3938
Hinenuitepō (2022), archival pigment print on backlit film, LED lightbox, 841 x 1189 mm.
09 A3944
Hikule'o (2022), archival pigment print on backlit film, LED lightbox, 841 x 1189 mm.
09 A3926
Hel (2022), archival pigment print on backlit film, LED lightbox, 841 x 1189 mm.
09 A3614 final
Installation photograph of 'Mai i te pō, ki te ao mārama: From the darkness into the light.' 2022.
09 A3618 final
Installation photograph of 'Mai i te pō, ki te ao mārama: From the darkness into the light.' 2022.

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