Te Maunga Mural

Hidden within Auckland’s vibrant cityscape, Te Maunga Mural whispers stories of the past. Te Maunga Mural isn’t just a splash of color. It’s a vibrant tapestry woven with the threads of history, culture, and artistic expression. This mural, a collaborative creation by Shane Cotton and Ross Liew, takes its inspiration from a series of Cotton’s works on paper. The mural’s location, at the corner of Customs Street East and Commerce Street, places it within Auckland’s bustling transportation hub. Te Maunga Mural serves as a visual reminder of the diverse people who move through the city. It echoes the stories they carry and the places they come from. Auckland’s volcanic landscape, dotted with ancient maunga (mountains), provides a powerful backdrop for this artistic narrative. Historically, these volcanic cones served as sites for Māori fortified villages, known as pā. These pā often featured terraced approaches, protective fences, and guarded entryways. Cotton’s earlier paintings frequently incorporated motifs of pā, mountains, and pots, alongside architectural structures, stars, ships, flags, birds, teapots, and moko mokai (disembodied tattooed heads). These elements symbolize the complex interplay between indigenous Māori and European colonizers. Within Te Maunga Mural, pots take on a unique significance. They represent objects of exchange and currency, carried by colonial settlers across vast distances. These pots held personal belongings and plant specimens, intended for both sustenance and propagation. Upon arrival, these plants and pots were often traded with local iwi (tribes) and even became decorative elements within wharenui (meeting houses). Each pot in the mural, containing its own microsystem of soil and plant matter, symbolizes a sense of home. They represent different places around New Zealand, as if brought by travelers arriving through the city’s transit network. Te Maunga Mural also speaks to the cultural exchange and adaptation that occurred between Māori and Europeans. It highlights how Māori incorporated European belongings, customs, and imagery, both as a matter of cultural selection and survival. The mural connects to broader themes of Mu0101ori history and cultural identity. It references figures like Te Kooti, a visionary spiritual leader who led resistance against colonial settlers. The artwork also alludes to the Ringatu016b faith and its adoption of European religious concepts and iconography. Te Maunga Mural serves as a visual reminder of the enduring connection between Mu0101ori people and the land – tangata whenua, the people of the land. It embodies the principle of kaitiakitanga, guardianship of the land, environment, and its people. Te Maunga Mural stands as a testament to Auckland’s rich history and the ongoing dialogue between cultures.