Ma te kotahitanga e whai kaha ai tātau

Location: Durham Lane, opposite The University of Waikato campus atēa / courtyard

Ma te kotahitanga e whai kaha ai tātau – In unity, we have strength

Internationally renowned artist Mr G spent his 2020 Waitangi Day painting this mural with his wife, Milly, by his side. Kotahitanga is the final piece of Mr G’s first solo exhibition; 'Home' shown at Tauranga Art Gallery in 2019.

Mr G says this mural speaks to the heart and spirit of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi). The mural features Mr G and his wife engaged in a hongi with two huia above their heads. Mr G describes their inclusion as the huia (male and female) are designed to survive when they work together as a team unit, which is why one has a long beak, to extract bugs and insects and the other has the shorter beak to mulch the bugs into digestible food.

The couple is surrounded by a simulated carved frame, a common trait of Mr G’s work. A flag appears on either side - on the left, Te Putake o te Riri, represents the anger and grievance over the New Zealand land wars and confiscations. Meanwhile, the flag on the right represents his aspiration for Aotearoa - maungārongo or peace. “You can’t really get to that place of peace regarding race relations until you address the anger and grievances with sincerity and integrity,” Mr G says.