Angela's Taonga

I’ve been asked a number of times if have ever considered memorial pieces. It’s a huge honour and responsibility.

Angela asked me many months ago if I would consider a memorial for her daughter. We communicated a lot over the past months, sharing and discussing many aspects of her daughter’s life, and elements she would like to see in the sculpture.

My first image was something flowing, curvaceous, rounded. We felt it also needed to be strong – much like a ribbon in the wind, or a fish-hook (hei matau) for strength, or any number of visual images that may come to mind.

I also wanted to include a koru representing a new beginning. I liked the idea of a koru held in an embrace, and rounded for softness, and scalloped inwards to add a contrast to the larger part.

Angela also asked if I could incorporate a dove. The front was getting crowded. But after lengthy discussions as to the importance of the dove, it was obvious she needed her own space. The other side belonged to the dove. I spent some time developing different versions of a dove and eventually realised the simplest was the best. I recessed it into the stone – deeper for the back wing, rounding the inside of the body, and shallow recess for the forward wing.

The front now had 2 strong symbols and the plaque. The back has the dove, and I textured a band to help lift the front parts, break up the bulk, and provide a contrast to the otherwise smooth memorial.

There were some difficulties: It was very very heavy, and difficult to move. The stone was damp, and it rained the entire time, so I had to move it under cover and dry with heaters, before I could sand, and seal it.

In the end, Angela, her whanau, and friends travelled from Invercargill to collect her Taonga, and complete her journey.

Brett Keno
June 2010

MAKING ANGELA'S TAONGA - See more photos

Sadie's Koropepe

Sadie recently suffered the loss of her grandson, and wanted something at home to remember him by. She took a particular liking to a part of one of my earliest sculptures "The whanau", in particular the koropepe – or my guardian spirit of children. It struck a chord with Sadie and she asked if I could create one for her.

I recently attended the Kapiti Stonecarving Symposium at Otaihanga Domain in February – I used this event to spend time on Sadies Koropepe.

Brett Keno
February 2010

MAKING SADIE'S KOROPEPE

Caroline's Hei Matau

Caroline liked my first hei matau, but I explained that my earlier hei matau hung on a wall, so only designed on one side and no plinth.

So we have this sculpture on a base, and because it was for a wedding gift I felt it had to have a koru (new beginnings)

This stone was the first from a newly arrived 1 tonne block, and it is particularly "grainy". It added a lot of layers to the sculpture – much like wood.

Brett Keno
March 2010

MAKING CAROLINE'S HEI MATAU

The Hongi

(My stone carving sculpture at Archibalds Stone Carving Symposium 2010)

The light is stronger in these photos and creates a sharper shadow on the hair and faces.

I wanted to try something different; to try life forms, faces and heads in particular. I found the challenge a little daunting. As I moved the eyes back and deeper, the noses up and down, I found myself staring at people's features as they stopped to talk.

Once I finally settled on the general placement of the faces I was able to concentrate on the hair. I loved the hair, I wanted it to flow, and be dramatic. It was always going to be the focal point that provided movement to the sculpture.

I wanted to use depth, sharp and rounded edges to create different shadows. I needed each strand to be different - it was incredibly time consuming, I found myself working very long days to complete the sculpture in the 10 days we had available.

The light that falls on the sculpture alters the mood, a bright light creates strong shadow and the hair creates drama, and a soft light softens the hair and causes the faces to be more prominent and portray peace, and calm.

Brett Keno
January 2010

MAKING THE HONGI