Tiki

Earth mother- a modern tiki, 12m high

Tiki appear in various forms in Polynesian cultures. In New Zealand, they appear carved in greenstone- pounamu- to protect the wearer. As they are passed down through a family, they become more powerful- more lucky. In French Polynesia, tiki are usually carved from wood or stone. They protect the site where they are placed. and it is considered unlucky to move them.

Each one seems to have its own personality. I started sketching the tiki of Nuku Hiva in brush pen. It was a good exercise in looking at light and shadow, showing the negative space. I decided not to colour the tiki themselves but to try to use the background to say something about the tiki. Some are older, others are modern- but I thought that this approach would make the age irrelevant, and would make the mana and personality of each tiki the centrepoint. 

​The drawings haven't been too popular on social media, but I'm enjoying creating them so thought I'd pop them up here anyway. Thanks for taking a look!

You can find more 'classic' style sketches of Nuku Hiva on my blog post here

The circles are the Marquesan symbol for a container- this can mean 'holding the universe'

Symbols for 'journey' and 'spirits of the ancestors'- exploring roots

I was drawn to the large eye of this tiki near the tourist office. The symbol is the Marquesan cross- creation

This one seems to be holding a severed head. Don't make him angry.