"Nanny what is wairua?" moko asked
Wairua, my moko is what gives us life, handed down to us from time past. 
At the moment of your begining, you shared with me the wairua of our Tipuna, for I am the link to your past. And you are are my link with the future. 
The aroha of the whanau has wairua, and their words, their laughter, their tears, the Marae, tangi, Waiata and whakapapa have a Wairua that strengtens us, gives us pride. 
So to the sunrise and sunset, the soft summer rain, the raging storms, the song of the birds in the trees, the waves on the beach, the mist rising from the bush, the moonlight on the water, and the embracing of the night. 
To sit quietly in the wharenui or the urupa and feel the presence of your tipuna, is to feel Wairua. Your arms around my neck, your breath on my cheek, fills me with a special Wairua, for there is Wairua in all things that gives meaning to life, to look forward to, in the future. 
So Moko open your mind, let your heart love, let your eyes see, your ears hear, your hands feel. Give of yourself , my Moko for in giving you receive, and the Wairua grows.
 
This original artwork represents a beautiful family which I was very fortunate to spend time with getting to know. This artwork was five years in the making, not of anyone specific, just of the spiritual elements to life I experienced at that time, I finished it in 2023 while working on my creative expression series of works.
 
Signed original
 
Watercolour, acrylic, spraypaint and charcoal on paper