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toi iho sculptor in Japanese symposium
Lower Hutt sculptor/carver Barry Te Whatu (Taranaki) was one of two international and six Japanese artists invited to participate in the 11th Nasunogahara International Sculpture Symposium 2007, held every year in the Japanese city of Ohtawara.
Te Whatu is a licensed user of toi ihoTM, the registered trademark denoting authenticity and quality of Māori arts.
All the artists were required to submit their designs, preferred stone and measurements for their sculpture prior to the symposium. Artists had a choice of using white or black granite. Te Whatu selected a block of white granite for the base of his sculpture and a block of black granite for the main sculpture.
Entitled Te Po Roa (or The Long Night), the work stands just over three metres high. The overall design was to depict the taurapa of a waka, a prominent symbol in many of his works.
Te Whatu split the stone in half and carved out the inside of the stones that looked like hulls of the waka. He then carved surface kowhaiwhai designs inside the interior of the hulls, added colour to the design and then joined the two hulls back together permanently.
Leaving an entrance-like split two-thirds of the way down to the base of the stone provides an opportunity to look inside to the delicate designs of the sculpture. The rough exterior masks the worked interior and as the artist explains, "It is like the old adage of don't judge a book by its cover."
Te Whatu's sculpture now features in a public park for the people of Ohtawara to enjoy. The artist is grateful to the city of Ohtawara and the symposium organiser Kodai Hihara for their tautoko and manaakitanga.
The highlights of his trip were the cultural exchanges - in particular, participating in the commemoration march through the city, dressed in samurai uniform, to celebrate the yoihji festival; visiting the traditional city of Nikko with its tranquil shrines and temples; spending time in a foreign country; and, of course, tasting the different delicacies Japan has to offer.
In Te Whatu's words: "Mmmm, he tino reka te kai, kua kii te puku i ngā wa katoa."
