{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Street Art Cities","provider_url":"https://streetartcities.com","title":"Ma te kotahitanga e whai kaha ai tātau by Mr G","description":"Location: Durham Lane, opposite The University of Waikato campus atēa / courtyard Ma te kotahitanga e whai kaha ai tātau – In unity, we have strengthInternationally renowned artist Mr G spent his 2020 Waitangi Day painting this mural with his wife, Milly, by his side. Kotahitanga is the final piece of Mr G’s first solo exhibition; 'Home' shown at Tauranga Art Gallery in 2019.Mr G says this mural speaks to the heart and spirit of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi). The mural features Mr G and his wife engaged in a hongi with two huia above their heads. Mr G describes their inclusion as the huia (male and female) are designed to survive when they work together as a team unit, which is why one has a long beak, to extract bugs and insects and the other has the shorter beak to mulch the bugs into digestible food.The couple is surrounded by a simulated carved frame, a common trait of Mr G’s work. A flag appears on either side - on the left, Te Putake o te Riri, represents the anger and grievance over the New Zealand land wars and confiscations. Meanwhile, the flag on the right represents his aspiration for Aotearoa - maungārongo or peace. “You can’t really get to that place of peace regarding race relations until you address the anger and grievances with sincerity and integrity,” Mr G says.","author_name":"Keren Harris","author_url":"https://streetartcities.com/users/e43cfcf8-9762-414a-981b-30fe859ecc3d","thumbnail_url":"https://streetart.media/7/73885f47-19b5-40e4-a8d3-023e41bf9052/1024.jpg","thumbnail_width":1024,"width":480,"height":480,"html":"","cache_age":3600}