Whakaruku: Painting a Love Letter to the Ocean

Abstract

Through painting, I reflect on the introspective and embodied spaces created by sustained engagement with three ancestral oceanic practices: surfing (whakahekengaru), voyaging (hekenga), and diving (ruku). This project was prompted by ongoing relocations, both internationally and within Aotearoa, and grew from a desire to establish continuity and connection across shifting geographical landscapes and cultural dislocations. I examine the historical significance of each practice within te ao Māori and their contemporary reinterpretations in post-colonial Aotearoa today. Employing painted magical realism to construct layered, cross-generational narratives, I emphasise an intimate relationship with the sea as a vessel for linking past, present, and future. I argue that this connection can facilitate whakapapa Māori reconnection, nurture a sense of place, navigate bicultural identity, and foster environmental kinship.