TIKI

2019

DRAWING

Charcoal on Hahnemühle paper

58cm x 42cm 

This drawing of Tiki is based on a watercolour illustration by Captain T J Grant in 1848 and an 1885 photograph of Tiki as a gateway guardian in place in Ohinemutu at the entrance to the fortified village ‘Pukeroa’. This is the smaller of two drawings by Alvin of the Tiki gateway.

Alvin did intensive research of Maori villages which you see between the carved figures in the gateway – he had planned magnificent paintings of this and his three other gateway drawings with a full village, and was ready to go during covid, but despite artists all around NZ getting grants from Creative New Zealand to help them survive the financial struggle of the covid epidemic and keep working, he was declined – for the second time in his lifetime – so it couldn’t happen. As Alvin said, “It makes you cry to see how beautiful those original drawings were!” That’s why he brought them to life – to share their beauty.