Mā ēnei uiui e rima, ka arotahi a Pohewa Pāhewa ki te mātauranga Māori me tōna whakaawenga whakapū i te mahi hoahoa i Aotearoa. Hāunga te aro ki ngā tauira o ngā putanga hoahoa motuhake, e whakamiha ana ngā kōrero i tukuna i konei i te mātauranga Māori me te mōhiotanga ki te whakapapa e noho nei hei tūāpapa mō ngā mahi hoahoa Māori katoa.

E tuku ana ia kaikōrero i tōna tirohanga ki te whānuitanga o te whakaaro i roto i ngā mahi hoahoa Māori. E whakauru ana ēnei kaimahi ki ngā mahi hoahoa mā ngā huarahi rerekē – e mahi ana ki ngā wāhi matihiko, pakihi, taupuni me te hapori – otirā he kaha tonu ngā aho e hono ana i ā rātou huarahi hanga, e whakaatu ana i te mōhiotanga pātahi o te āhua o te ‘hoahoa pai’ i te ao Māori.

Ka tīmata ā rātou wheako i tētahi whakawhitinga kōrero mō te āhua o te whakaputa me te tautuhi i ngā tikanga rerekē i roto i te mahi hoahoa i Aotearoa - te hoahoa e ai ki a mātou, e hoahoa ana mā wai, ā, me pēhea e pupuri ai i te pono o te ahurea i ngā tūāhuatanga tuatini – hei whakarite e whakaute ana i ngā tirohanga, ka tīmatahoki te mahi ngātahi i runga i te mōhio.

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Through these five interviews, Pohewa Pāhewa centres mātauranga Māori and its fundamental influence on design practice in Aotearoa. Rather than focusing on examples of specific design outcomes, the kōrero shared here acknowledge the mātauranga Māori and understanding of whakapapa that underpin all Māori design practice.

Each of the kaikōrero offers an insight into the expansiveness of thinking within Māori design practice. These practitioners engage in the design field in varied ways – working in digital spaces, businesses, studios and the community – yet the threads that connect their ways of making are strong, showing a shared understanding of what ‘good design’ looks like in te ao Māori.

Their experiences begin a conversation about how we can articulate and define different approaches within design practice in Aotearoa – what we consider design to be, whom we are designing for and how we maintain cultural integrity in complex circumstances – to ensure viewpoints are respected and collaboration begins first from a position of understanding.

Nga mihi to Seb Charles, producer and editor.