WITARINA OIL PAINTING.

WITARINA

Respected TE ARAWA KUIA

Original OIL PAINTING

By Peter Jean Caley

WITARINA is painted in traditional dress and reflecting her Whakapapa to Mokoia Island, the carving of Tutanekai standing beside her,and above is her Wharenui,Tama Tekapua on her Marae of Ohinemutu,where she was born and died at a great age of 101 years.Also shown is the insignia of her Queens Service Medal.

Witarina Te Miriarangi Parewahaika Harris, a respected Kuia of TeArawa iwi (tribe).She was New Zealand's first International film star playing the leading role in the 1920's Universal Pictures
production"THE DEVILS PIT".

Granddaughter of the Rangatira -Chief who donated land to Rotorua so that the town could be founded.

Witarina earned the Queens Service Medal, for services in the Maori Womens Welfare League
Was a founder of NGATI PONEKE MAORI Club
Opened the Rotorua Energy Events Center with the Prime MInister Rt.Hon.Helen Clark 2007, built on land that her grandfather had given to Rotorua.
Kaumatua for the National Film Archives.

Her WISH was not to be Forgotten as she wanted to work on after
her death to inspire Mokopuna (young people)

This Beautiful painting is now finished, it is of
National Importance and for New Zealand of
Cultural significence as it shows the Whakapapa
or links of Witarina to Te Arawa.
Masterfully painted by a Maori Artist.
Yet the painting has been ridiculed by so called
Art Appraisers who have not seen this original
and are ignorant of the Cultural importance these
paintings are to NEW ZEALAND.
There is a ELEMENT in New Zealand that does
NOT want Maori Portraits given the MANA or
respect due to them.It took 50 years to get the
Museums to hang Goldie or Lindauer paintings,
These were kept in storerooms or basements,it
was INTERNATIONAL pressure that allowed the
Public to see them.This Artist has experienced
the same backlash to his career by painting
Maori Portraits.
Yet a Japanese Art Professor studied this artists
style and quote",he is most contemporary artist
whose style will be discussed in Art Faculties
around the World".
When Peter exhibited in Florence and saw the
history of Europe that goes back thousands of
years,where is New Zealands Art history of
meaningful works.?
Surely not McCahon I cannot see any cultural or
historical importance in those paintings.