Paerau_Corneal

(Te Ati Huanui-a-Paparangi / Ngati Uenuku / Ngati Tuwharetoa / Ngati Karauia)

Paerau’s work consciously builds a link between past and present. In creating images of wahine atua (female deit ies), she is rediscovering and reclaiming a history of women that she feels has been overlooked in written and oral history or deliberately edited out.

Paerau has commented that there are very few sculptural images of Maori women outside the marae (tribal community centre). Her work places a female interpretation of form back into a wider public arena.

The Manawa (heart) series of figures are hand built from clay coils. Paerau plans to continue with the Manawa figures, seeing them as having the potential to become larger works.

Paerau developed her interests in clay and fibre together. Both involve time-consuming processes such as harvesting and lengthy preparation of materials, and she enjoys the physical demands of working with them. 
 
Nga Tapuwai o Hine I 2003 From the 'Manawa' series 2003

Australian raku-fired clay

Mana Wahine - Prestige of woman (below)

This work by Paerau Corneal is from the 'Manawa' (heart) series representing creation, whakapapa (genealogy), and the mana of Maori women.

The form of this work is influenced by the tiki (fertility symbol), as well as the poutokomanawa (central supporting post) figures of the meeting house..

 
This work is also an acknowledgement of those women who play important roles that go unnoticed on the marae (tribal community centre) or in the community.