Figurative Māori Design

Figurative Māori design is not new and featured in kowhaiwhai in the latter half of the nineteenth century. This creative period did not last long and was perhaps superseded by a conscious effort to return back to the more orthodox traditional art forms. Interestingly, it was also a period of political and religious unrest.

Māori design took a back seat for many years in the form of what the tourists perceived as being Māori arts, until contemporary Māori artists such as Para Matchitt, Buck Nin, Sandy Adsett and Robyn Kahukiwa and artists alike, added another ingredient into the artistic and design mix.

Meanwhile Māori graphic design merely imitated what was already out there responding to the needs of the public with out any real investigation into its possibilities.

The design to above represents a Māori warrior, symbol of power and strength and is used to market a sportswear product. This logo is an example of the effectiveness of using a full human figure.