June is the birthday month for my lovely mum, Angela, and for my fab step-father, Malcolm. They live in Carterton, just north of Wellington and it has been ages since we have seen each other and given each other huge hugs and had lots of cups of tea.
June….Barbara, my mother-in-law is in Coopers Beach, and it has been ages since we have seen each other and given each other huge hugs and had lots of cups of coffee.
Thankfully, given technology, we have been able to talk on the phone every other day and fill our souls with love and caring commitment. This is life now, but not as we knew it.
Life now is slowly beginning to change. It is not necessarily returning to “normal”, as “normality” is a superficial term. We are a new sanitised and weary people who feel that our boots are filled and our souls fed, just in seeing people we know and reconnecting.
In Auckland, there is more noise…..The motorways again require utmost concentration. We hug, only if it feels completely justified.
In Ponsonby and Newmarket, our stores now have our awesome customers re-emerging.
It is so wonderful to see everyone and say hello. We hear of struggles, of joy, of sadness, of love, of desperation, of hope. This is who we are. We are people living in New Zealand…each with our own individual stories and histories.
For us, it is our intention to work hard. To do the best for every artist we represent. To make a positive difference.
We admire and respect all the artists we represent. Each individual has their own past and their own experiences from their environment, and their own upbringing. This is expressed in their artwork. This is raw and to me it expresses each individual’s identity. This is life and this is who we are.
For me, I have been brought up with my single hard-working Pakeha parent, Angela. I have researched my whakapapa. I have learnt Te Reo at Victoria University, Beginners Maori at night school and at Unitec with hubby Clayton. Despite all odds, I am quite hopeless at stringing sentences together.
My iwi is Ngati Porou and my marae on the luxurious East Coast is gorgeous sweet Hiruharama.
For us, we celebrate New Zealand art. This is who we are.
The Poi Room.
Xxx