Mikaere Henderson is he uri o te iwi Ngāti Pikiao and graduated from Massey University with a Bachelor of Design. Originally from Rotorua, Mike has worked extensively in the fashion industry in both Australia and Europe. Now residing in Kerikeri, Mike produces artworks inspired by Te taiao (the natural world), a love of which was transferred to him by his grandmother at a young age.
Instagram: @mikaere_mahitoi
Email: mikaerejames@yahoo.com
'My contemporary take on this motif- Takarangi is an interlocking spiral often used as a traditional carving pattern with whakapapa represented by notches between the coils. Highly significant in te aō Māori, the negative and positive space in the design are symbolic of the balance between light/dark, life/death, Ranginui/Papatūānuku and the connection between the physical and spiritual world.’
