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Press, 9 April 1979, Page 12

The art of Maori carving will be demonstrated at the Christchurch Technical Institute this week by Mr Greg Whakataka, a master wood carver from Levin. Mr Whakataka, aged 26, has been supported by the Students’ Arts Council to spend eight weeks visiting teachers’ colleges and technical institutes as part of its artist-on-campus scheme. He carves a single wooden panel or figure at each and gives it to the campus for permanent display;

After a traditional Maori welcome to the Christchurch Technical Institute Mr Wh aka taka started work on a 152 cmlong piece of kauri provided by the institute. He said that the carving would take about 50 hours and would depict the mythical story of the fight between the demigod, Maui, and the eel god, Tuna. Classes or individuals may watch Mr Whakataka at work at each campus and discuss the carving with him. He said that he had

received an ethusiastic response from those watching him, particularly when they had seen the carving develop into its finished form. The chairman of the Students’ Arts Council (Mr V. Burke, of Wellington) said that an aim of the artist-on-campus scheme, which was introduced this year, was to make artists and their work more accessible. The scheme has received a grant from the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council. As well as carving wood, Mr Whakataka sculpts

rock, bone, jade, coral, and shell. He has been a fulltime carver of tribal art for eight years and makes bone and jade jewellery for the artists’ co-operative at Levin to which he belongs. Mr Whakataka recently carved murals in rock on the western shores of Lake Taupo. He is looking for a suitable rock face in the South Island for another mural. He will be involved in the carving of a 12m, double-hull canoe which will be sailed to Rarotonga when completed.