Hautaha means coming together, and in this three-metre tall sculpture, artist Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi weaves together history, philosophy and culture – humanity coming together is at its core. Layered both physically and metaphorically, this stacked steel-tube sculpture is based on lalava, the traditional Tongan art of joining and binding. Recognised as a master craftsman in this artform, Tohi defines lalava as the intersection of two lines, always with a male and female line, which become a metaphor for the ways of the world. *Hautaha*’s form is female and welcomes and embraces residents and visitors to the Onehunga community.

Lalava is also used in making houses and boats, both of which bring people together. The binding patterns used in this sculpture are symbolic of human interaction, which stretch from the past right up into the present; from early Māori and colonising Europeans through to Pacific Islanders migrating to the region.

*Hautaha* was unveiled in 2004 and was one of a series of artworks incorporated into the new Onehunga Library and Community Centre complex. During the project, Tohi worked with local Tongan youth, leading workshops in traditional lalava.



"It's about binding people together too – all the cultures in Onehunga," says Tohi.

Hautaha

The Māori legend of Māui is represented in these sculptures, which stand in front of the Onehunga Community Centre and Library complex. According to the creation story, Māui hauled up Te Ika-a-Māui, known today as the North Island of New Zealand, from the sea with a matau (fish hook). The matau was made from the jawbone of a whale and the all-white colour of this sculpture represents the whale's sun-bleached bone. The two stylised fish hooks and anchor stone that make up Jim Palmer's work are made of ferrocement and supported on a steel base.

*Matau* can be viewed from different sides to appreciate the changing shapes and shadows found between the pieces. The shadows cast by the sun and changing light throughout the day highlight different areas of contrast across this large sculpture.

*Matau* is the result of a competition held in 1972 to design a sculpture for Onehunga. The competition was supported by Alex Harvey Industries on the occasion of W.H. Bond & Co's golden jubilee. The work was originally located in a reflection pool in Queen Street Mall, Onehunga, then moved to the former Borough Council Chambers and library before being relocated to its current site in 2003.

Matau

Occupying a prime spot on the Onehunga main street, art meets public convenience in *De Loo*, a public toilet decorated in an Art Nouveau style. Similar to public facilities found in European cities, this was the first modern public toilet to be installed on a roadway in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland.

Inspired by Gaudi and a brief to incorporate an organic plant theme, artist David Vazey incorporated the 'tree of life' in the decoration, universally a symbol of unity, connection and strength. Using a technique he learned in Israel, the design on the building was created with galvanised steel and paint, giving the effect of wrought iron.

*De Loo* was commissioned by the Onehunga Mainstreet's Urban Renewal Through the Arts Programme in 2002, with support from the Maungakiekie Community Board.

De Loo

Tucked into the low wall in the children's playground in Onehunga Bay Reserve, these hand-painted tiles are all unique and feature native New Zealand birds and sea life.

This tile mural was originally part of the *Queen Street Tile Mural Project* by Jan Morrison and Golda Goldberg from Dragon Studios. The ambitious project tiled the blank concrete walls of seating bays on Auckland's Queen Street with 21 murals showcasing the native flora and fauna of Aotearoa.

Due to consistent damage from traffic, the murals were removed from Queen Street in 2006 and most of the original murals were repaired and re-sited to Onehunga Bay Reserve in three locations, bringing brightness and colour to the redeveloped Onehunga foreshore.

Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi

Hautaha

"Layers of steel tubes stacked and woven like Tongan lalava, welcoming visitors and the local Onehunga community."

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