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WORKS ON PAPER

NIU Series
Hina

Maramataka is the traditional Maori lunar calendar, used by our ancestors to guide daily life through the rhythms of the moon. This system was vital for wellbeing and survival, informing the best times to plant crops, harvest from the forest, or gather kaimoana. It aligned communities with the natural world — with the sky, the tides, and the seasons.

Across the Pacific, the moon is personified as Hina — the guardian of time and tides, and the embodiment of feminine energy. She shifts through many phases creating a sacred rhythm — a portal between life and death. She shines by the reflection of the sun, moving through cycles of waxing and waning. Her presence is constant yet ever-changing — revealing, concealing, and reminding us of life’s impermanence and transformation.

In te ao Maori, Hina is also recognised as Hine-te-iwaiwa, the divine guardian of childbirth and weaving — sacred acts of creation. She is honoured as the celestial mother, a model for all wahine, and the feminine principle that nurtures, protects, and guides.

Hina’s influence is deeply spiritual. She stirs the tides of our inner world — surfacing dreams, desires, and emotional truths that may lie dormant. She encourages reflection, unveiling unconscious thoughts, hidden fears, or aspirations yet to be fulfilled. At times, her pull may bring confusion, disillusionment, or unease — yet even this serves a purpose: to illuminate what needs healing, clarity, or release.
She calls us to tune in, trust the tides within, and honour the ever-shifting dance between light and shadow.

hina (niu series)’ by B. Waipuka-Callander – a digital artwork honouring Hina, the Māori lunar goddess. This piece evokes the sacred cycles of time, feminine energy, and celestial rhythm, reflecting the deep spiritual connection between marama, wairua, and the life-giving forces of te ao Māori.