Mural Masterpieces - Whangarei Primary School

Location:
Whangarei Primary School, Bank Street, Whangarei.

Team:
Vicky Teinaki.

Accessible to public:
Yes.

Mural theme:
Whangarei Harbour.

Background to mural creation:
The Whangarei Primary School principal wanted to brighten up a glaring blank classroom wall looking out over the school's front entrance. He called on Vicky - an ex-pupil - because of her talent for art and her link with the school.

The principal wanted the mural to reflect the importance of the harbour to Whangarei's beginnings, with perhaps a harbour scene with settlers sailing up the harbour. Vicky took the concept a step further back and used Maori mythology surrounding the harbour as the basis for her work. She researched the topic thoroughly, consulting kaumatua, school staff and the principal.

The mural features a depiction of the Maori legend of the Rei sisters traveling north on a giant pokai about to rest awhile in Whangarei. Also symbolised is the interpretation of Whangarei as 'the meeting place of the whales' under the watchful eye of Mt Manaia.

It took Vicky nine days to paint the mural after the design was done. The hardest part was getting used to painting two metres up a ladder.