Ka puna te wai, ko te kāwai puna

Water flows from the source, whakapapa / genealogy springs forth. A kui reminisces with her NZ born grandchild about the place she came from, and has yet to go back to… at the water’s edge on an island in Tonga. Celebrating the relationship between tūpuna and mokopuna, This work connects generations across oceans of time and space, exploring the nuances of Pacific diaspora and Māori identity within the artist’s own whānau/family.

Ka Puna highlights the importance of family but also the role of music and singing together as a means of celebrating and maintaining culture.” (Caroline Vercoe, 2017)

Having coined the term ‘Toi Rerehiko’ to centre, claim and name digital space within a Maori paradigm, Rakena’s work describes and locates Māori digital/electronic-based art practice in terms of continuum, motion, and collaboration. She has an international exhibiting practice and her artwork has featured in major survey and retrospective exhibitions of New Zealand art, and international exhibitions.