Toi Māori – Watch This Space

Reclamation – Ruka @ The Giant Cans

The Giant Cans on St Asaph have served as a free legal space for people to create and leave their mark – whether a simple name or message, or something more adventurous and stylised. But alongside the free wall status, one of the cylinders stands as a ‘commission can’ with artists invited to produce a cohesive take over – providing inspiration and pushing new ideas. For the most recent commission, Ōtautahi artist Ruka has explored the merging of graffiti and Toi Māori, an expression of his own creative trajectory. The circular canvas has been adorned with a sprawling, interlocking map of koru and letterforms, with shifting transparencies and an evocation of the iridescence of a paua shell. We sat down with Ruka to discuss the relationship between Toi Māori and graffiti, his exploration of his Māoritanga through art and where his art might go next.

The Things We Love To See…

At the end of March, we were stoked to pop along to the Giant Cans Space on St Asaph Street and check out a new collaborative production going up, created by our mate Jonny Waters and his Toi Ora art therapy group from Purapura Whetu.

River Jayden’s Te Pūrakau ā Tiki rāua ko Tūtānekai – Celebrating Identity and Reclaiming Space…

Created across several weeks in late March and early April, as a celebration of Pride Month, Te Pūrakau ā Tiki rāua ko Tūtānekai – The Story of Tiki and Tūtānekai was designed and conceived by artist River Jayden (Ngāti Tahu – Ngāti Whaoa, Ngāti Maniapoto), and executed by Jayden with support from a small group of local takatāpui rangatahi.