Maori Christmas 2009
Last week I went for the last time this year to the Attic artist meeting. I sat down in front of a blank canvas not knowing what to paint. Then, in an instant, came the vision of a Maori Christmas. With charcoal I drew a curl of a tree, two circles and curl upwards.
The green curl of the tree became the koru of the Ponga tree. This koru or frond of the palm tree holds all the essence of the tree, the beginning and unfolding of its life and therefore an ideal symbol of Christmas. This feast day is the celebration of beginning and the unfolding of the son of God into the history of humankind, the baby Jesus in the manger, the food basket of animals of the earth, the red wahi (place) for all tangata (people).
On that ground we find the precious green stone or poumanu which is used by skilled carvers to create beautiful tiki or neck pendants. For Christians it is often a cross suggesting that the same Jesus would die on a tree on the same red earth.
Next to the tiki we see the shell fish or the paua which reminds us that the followers of Jesus were fishermen. In other words we as Christians are invited to enter the life of Jesus by simple work of spreading his good news or rongo pai.
This shell is illuminated by the rays of whetu rangi the star of Kirihimete (Christmas).
Thus my painting developed itself with all the appropriate colours into what I had in my heart and what you see.
My prayer is that all of you will be illuminated by the peaceful rays of aroha or love that will shine on your work and life founded in this world renewed by wairua (Spirit) of Ihu Karaiti (Jesus Christ)
I wish all a Happy and Peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New Year 2010.
John Heijnen
No comments:
Post a Comment