Phil Belcher is being remembered as a staunch advocate for Māori arts and culture. Photo / Duncan Brown
Phil Belcher is being remembered as a staunch advocate for Māori arts and culture. Photo / Duncan Brown
One of Hawke’s Bay’s most respected artists is being remembered for his incredible dedication to Māori arts and culture, as well as his passion for helping his local community.
The tōtara pou that proudly stands at Waimārama beach will forever continue to live as a testament to the life and wairua of Hawke’s Bay carver Phil Belcher, Ngāti Kahungunu chief executive and Waimārama resident Bayden Barber said.
Barber said he was “totally shocked” to hear of Belcher’s recent passing and that he would be remembered as a “staunch advocate” for Māori arts.
A notice in Hawke’s Bay Today described him as a “proud and devoted dad” to four boys.
“All of our aroha [love] goes out to Nia, his kids, and family,” Barber said.
According to Barber, in his mind, there were no greater whakairo carvers than Belcher, who grew up locally at the station by Peach Gully.
“Even though he was not Māori whakapapa-wise, he was raised in Waimārama and had a very close connection to the marae and our ancestral sites of significance.
“He was very generous with his time and talent. All of the pou will stand as a testament to his work. One of the first pou you see when you enter Waimārama is one of Phil’s.”
According to the Imago Mundi Collection, Belcher had carved since childhood, learning firstly from elders in the community.
His work explored the physical forms and traditional folklore of the native forest ecosystem.
Belcher also played a significant role in creating the carvings at Hawke’s Bay’s much treasured Ātea a Rangi star compass.
Ngāti Kahungunu navigator Piripi Smith said Belcher was one of a “very small handful” who were at the peak of whakairo carving in the Kahungunu area.
“He was definitely one of them. It’s a huge loss for us in the Kahungunu area to lose a person of his ability.”
Head carvers Phil Belcher (left) with Nathan Foote and Piripi Smith at the Ātea a Rangi star compass. Photo / Piripi Smith
After helping with the Ātea, Belcher and fellow carver Nathan Foote became trustees.
“His passion went beyond the arts; he loved getting into gardening techniques and growing things the traditional way. He put his whole heart into most things Māori.”
Barber also said Belcher was incredibly passionate about the environment, and the pair had worked together on several key projects relating to the Waimārama environment.
“He was a great advocate for the taiao [nature]. We’d been working together on the Waingongoro, which is our river. We knew we could rely on Phil as a Waimārama community for all of our projects. We’ve had a number of them over the years and Phil had always been very quick to respond and help out.”
Barber said Belcher would be missed both as a person and also as a great source of knowledge and charisma.
Belcher was welcomed onto Taupunga Marae on Wednesday, where he will stay until his burial on Thursday.
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
