Street Art Cities

In January 2019, some of the worlds best street artists transformed some grey city walls into colourful masterpieces as part of the Street Prints Manaia, International Art Festival. 15 incredible murals based on the theme “Tui ate muka Tangata – Weaving the Thread of Humanity”. 

Street artist Amanda Valdes is from Miami, Florida. Her signature style incorporates doll-like women with big blank eyes, lashes and flowing hair. Valdes comes from an artistic heritage and held her first solo exhibition aged 18.
 
Some sources list this mural in Hannah Street as "Untitled" while others refer to it as "Whaitiri - Goddess of Thunder". Certainly, the artist found inspiration in Maori mythology where Whaitiri is seen as a personification of thunder. In this mythology, Tawhirimatea is one of the seven children of Papatuanuku (earth mother) and Ranginui (sky father) and is the god of weather, including thunder and lightning and storms.