Arohanoa Mathews incorporates te reo in her business.
The cultural influence of Arohanoa Mathews' work is clear at first sight.
While the contemporary artist and businesswoman celebrates her Māori culture in her everyday life, it's also highlighted through her Tauranga-based business Arohanoa Artistry, with empowering messages in te reo, paintings that represent her heritage and recognising important issues for her people.
With a business name that features her own Māori name and a moko kauae-inspired logo, the cultural component of her brand is clear.
Mathews, who obtained a fine arts degree about 25 years ago, describes herself as a beginner when it comes to te reo Māori because she is "constantly learning".
Tauranga's Arohanoa Mathews incorporates Māori culture and te reo into her work and business. Photo / George Novak
"Regardless of the level that I have or anyone else, we all have the right to learn to whatever level we can get to."
And using te reo in her business allows her to reconnect to her culture, showcase what she is proud of, combine her love of art and fashion, while also helping to empower women.
Te reo comes through in her clothing collections and in her statement earrings that feature empowering messages such as mana wahine (woman of strength), motif designs and her latest designs, a collection that pays tribute to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which was signed in 1840.
"As a beginner reo speaker, it was more about me reconnecting in other ways."
Although she isn't fluent in te reo, she was raised with a strong understanding of tikanga Māori. Because of that, her culture is an imperative part of her life and showcasing that in her business was a natural progression.
"I was brought up knowing who I am," Mathews said.
Born in Whakatāne and of Ngāi Te Rangi iwi, Mathews comes from a Māori mum and a Pākehā dad who, while working as a doctor in Ruatoki, became fluent in te reo and in turn, earning respect from her mum's side of the family.
"I've been surrounded by our culture, understanding where I'm from."
After working as a secondary school arts teacher in Auckland, holding leadership roles that included running a school art department in Perth and having lived in Australia for about 20 years, she decided it was time to return home to Tauranga.
"Out of that came my, I suppose, calling to really connect back to my whakapapa, my whānau," Mathews said.
Tauranga's Arohanoa Mathews incorporates Māori culture and te reo into her work and business. Photo / George Novak
Mathews, her husband Jeremy and their two sons Rawiri, 17, and Kaearangi, 14, who attend Mount Maunganui College, have been back in New Zealand for about 18 months and in that time she has seen a lot of changes.
"We were thinking about our boys."
Rawiri has picked up te reo and even teaches mum and dad, she's been able to focus on being a self-employed artist but also giving back to her people any way she can, while also working for her iwi, Ngāi Te Rangi.
Mathews says she loves being home and being able to share her culture through her work. The majority of her business comes from New Zealand and Australia.
