Onewherowhero

Onewherowhero is the culmination of a collaborative uku/clay project between Kelston Intermediate ākonga and artist Carla Ruka, and was funded by the Creatives in Schools programme. During the eight-week project the entire school spent
two sessions learning how to make potangitangi flutes, and from these sessions nineteen akonga continued their journey with uku, in designing and creating the sculptures presented in this exhibition.

Onewherowhero, meaning reddish clay, is the original name for the Kelston area as known by mana whenua, Te Kawerau a Maki. This clay would later be used by the many brickwork companies along Te Whau, which then led to the thriving pottery industry in neighbouring New Lynn. These sculptures pay homage to the whakapapa and history of clay in the area, te taiao – the flora and fauna of Te Whau, and the many cultures that make up our vibrant school community. The sculptures have been hand-built using coiling techniques, and Onewherowhero clay from our school grounds has been applied to each sculpture as a physical connection to the whenua on which we stand.

01 October - 12 February 2023