WATCH THIS SPACE: BENJAMIN WORK, CHARLES AND JANINE WILLIAMS
He Tohu
Artist Benjamin Work and Charles and Janine Williams
Date May 2021
Location Etu Pasifika Health, Tuam Street
When Etu Pasifika Health opened their new clinic in mid-2021, a vibrant mural by renowned Tāmaki Makaurau artists Benjamin Work and Charles and Janine Williams marked the western side of the building, providing a meaningful welcome to visitors. The work combines the distinctive styles of the three artists, suggesting the interconnectedness of Polynesian cultures.
From the bottom left of the wall, an amokura (red-tailed tropicbird), suggesting beauty and connection (and prized by Māori when found on mainland Aotearoa as a reminder of the ancestral home of Hawaiki), takes flight drawing us through the directional tāniko pattern of bright blues and warm yellows, echoing the waters and warm sunsets of the Pacific.
A small manulua motif at the top of the wall, an ancient pattern that evokes navigation and voyaging, leads the eye towards Work’s striking chiefly figure at the front of the building, bisected by the architecture and interlocked with the geometry of the black window frame. The tall, angular figure, drawn from iconography found on Tongan ‘akau tau, serves as a reminder of ancestral lineage and guides visitors to the clinic entrance.
Explore more of Ōtautahi’s urban art on a Watch This Space guided street art tour! Email tours@watchthisspace.org.nz for booking information.