“What I did was take some of the core values and their typography street art and figured out a way to compose it alongside some other important symbols.
One of those is a poutama which had been drawn by one of the young people already, which represents striving for excellence, and being a greater version of yourself.
The other is an aronui tāniko, which represents the connection between land and people, and acknowledges the awa that runs below Te Aro, the Waimahipihi stream.
The colours of the mural too are a nod to the water running below.
Aidan says the rangatahi who worked on the mural hold a strong sense that the mural is theirs.
David Ensor, Connected Communities manager, says the mahi in Te Aro Park has been focused on helping make the area friendly, safe, and vibrant.
“We’ve heard from young people how important art is in a space to help it feel cared for – and that when it feels cared for, they feel safer as they feel like there are eyes on it. It’s awesome to have these young artists bringing positivity and creativity to the area.
“We’ve also recently installed new festoon lighting into the beautiful Pōhutukawa tree in the park, which adds to a positive atmosphere at night too.”