Sir Sidney (Hirini) Moko Mead is one of the truly distinguished authors that we’ve had the privilege of working with over the ten years of Oratia Books.
Over his long career he has been an innovator and leader across a range of academic and artistic fields, notably for his iwi of Ngāti Awa, for which he has received numerous honours including his knighthood.
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| Hirini Moko Mead |
From the 1950s on, Tā Hirini wrote pioneering works on Māori art forms of which he was himself an enthusiastic practitioner. Te Toi Whakairo: The Art of Maori Carving, which Oratia published in 2015, had been through various incarnations since its first publication in 1961 by A.H. & A.W. Reed “as a very humble little book”, as Hirini writes in the 2015 preface. The current edition is a comprehensively illustrated work of 276 pages.
Detailing the evolution of styles in history through to present-day forms, Te Toi Whakairo is a standard reference work for carvers as well as all those who appreciate Māori carving, and Oratia is committed to keeping it in print. Click here for more information.
Next month will see new life given to another of Hirini’s standard works on Māori art, with the publication on 15 August of Te Whatu Tāniko — Tāniko Weaving: Technique and Tradition, in a fully redesigned and expanded edition
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| Te Whatu Tāniko will be published in August |
Visit our Fb Page to be in to win a copy of Te Toi Whakairo: The Art of Maori Carving. Prize available to New Zealand residents only.
Competition closes on Monday 15 July, and winner announced on Tuesday 16 July.
