About Neke Moa
He aha te mea nui o te ao? maku e ki ana, he tangata! he tangata! he tangata!
What is the greatest thing in the world? I will say, tis people, tis people, tis people!
I am a product of my society, I am maori, tangata whenua, native to Aotearoa NZ and an activist.
I have been mainly working with Pounamu (nephrite jade) over the last ten years, it has kept me intrigued, fascinated and captivated. It was the people from ‘Te Ao Kohatu’, the age of stone, who first learnt to work pounamu, they were the inventors, experimenters, developers of the ways in which pounamu was eventually used and how it came to be the most precious element of all: Mana pounamu.
I am a part of this whakapapa (genealogy), I continue the artistic expression through exploration, experimentation and development of pounamu as a material and as a source of inspiration.
My strength comes from my identity through maintaining language, cultural concepts, relationships with Marae, hapu and whanau. As the world stretches and imposes on our society and crosses our borders, the power of activism in social, environmental and cultural causes is paramount. Local materials and resources are important ingredients in maintaining this identity.
Mau te rourou, maku te rourou ka ora ai te iwi
With your food basket and my food basket we can sustain everyone.
Kei hea te Komako e ko? where will the bird sing? 2014
Astro and Rena 2012- Handshake 1
HANDSHAKE 3 