Kotahitanga - unity. It is not only the name of Kelcy Taratoa’s new mural, it represents the space it occupies and the process behind painting it. The bold red, blue, white and grey geometric shapes adorn the wall opposite Tauranga Art Gallery in Masonic Park.

Right in the heart of the city, the bus interchange, library, art gallery and Our Place all surround the park. These are places where people come together and also transit through.

“That’s where kotahitanga comes in,” says Kelcy. “Being a communal space it's meant to be inclusive and that’s its intention.”

The space is also historical, and being from Tauranga Moana and of Ngai Te Rangi and Ngati Ranginui descent, Kelcy wanted to incorporate that into the design as well.

“The scope of the CBD is in my whakapapa,” he says. “My blood is literally in that whenua, that land, through my ancestors and being aware of their relationship to Tauranga, Te Papa - that particular area itself in the CBD was part of that response to the space as well,” he says.

Information from: https://kelcytaratoa.com/mural-brings-harmony-to-a-hectic-place/

Note that at the time these photos were taken (November 2023) the space in front of this mural was blocked off as a building site. I was granted special permission and provided an escort in order to take these photos. Please do not wander onto any restricted building sites without seeking the required permissions. Be safe.