Ngā Kaitiaki o Mohua
A series of whenua-based watercolour portraits by Jessa Kaa Te Pō Strachan
Of Ngati Waiora o Te Rarawa Kaiwhare, Te Ati Awa, Ngāti Apakura, and Ngā Puhi descent, Jessa Kaa Te Pō Strachan is a creative based in Te Ihu o Te Waka a Maui. Over the last year, she has worked on a project for Kauae Raro, connecting to the taniwha of her rohe through the whenua pigments alongside their respective waterways.
In July 2023, Jessa talked with Sarah Hudson about the project.
The project started with trepidation, in some ways, it could almost be described as fear. As all us cool kids who have done a bit of trauma work will attest, ancient parts of the brain tell us to freeze, fight, or flee when we are afraid. In an art sense, this can feel like a frozen inability to actually start the thing, fighting your own internal monologue as to the worthiness of the pursuit, or fleeing from the situation all together resulting an another ‘parked’ idea.
Jessa’s kaupapa was to connect with the whenua via narratives of local taniwha. These are beings of communication and kaitiakitanga, with the ability to travel great distances and command respect. Early on in the project we talked about the powerful presence that the taniwha Huriawa, Ngārarahuarau and Kaiwhakaruaki have on the landscape and how intimidatingly powerful their narratives remain. We came to the conclusion that if you weren’t feeling a little apprehensive about engaging with these awe-inspiring taniwha, you’re probably not going about it the right way! So, in feeling the fear and doing it anyway, Jessa embarked on an extensive research and reconnection project with ngā kaitiaki o Mohua.
The artist spent time walking on the whenua, alongside rivers and estuaries – getting to know the landscapes which the taniwha helped shape. To more deeply inform her understanding of purakau, Jessa spent time with local pūkenga who shared their knowledge face-to-face. One such tohunga was Matua Robin Slow, a ringatoi Māori who has been championing earth pigments and local art materials for decades. Another helpful resource was a series of children’s books about ngā kaitiaki o Mohua which helped shape Jessa’s visual interpretation of Huriawa, Ngārarahuarau and Kaiwhakaruaki. This holistic and hands-on research approach has resulted in some beautiful, flowing and calm imagery.
Using whenua pigments collected at special places pertaining to each taniwha, Jessa has created three watercolour portraits. The colours, specific to place, offer insights into the landscape and perhaps the characteristics of the influencing kaitiaki. The works beam with relationships to pūkenga, place, materials and the taniwha themselves. Ngā Kaitiaki o Mohua also reveals these types of relationships are a long game, this series took months to produce, and we are so grateful to Jessa’s mahi and everyone who supported her along the way.
Ngārarahuarau by Jessa Kaa Te Pō Strachan (2023)
Kaiwhakaruaki by Jessa Kaa Te Pō Strachan (2023)
Huriawa by Jessa Kaa Te Pō Strachan (2023)
