A Maori Dragon Story

I *A Maori Dragon Story*, 1995 kei te kawea e Lisa Reihana te kōrero whakahīamo nā Kāi Tahu mō te rerehua a Hine Ao mā te pakiwaituhi tāoreore me te karetao. He whakaari ngū kei te tukuna e Reihana mā te rōreka o te puoro e kawe te kōrero mō te wewehe a te rangatira a Turakipo ki a Hine Ao. Kei te huri kē a Hine Ao, ā, ka mākutuhia e Turakipo, ka mate ia. Ka pūkatokato te pāpā o Hine Ao, ka utu i te matenga o tāna tamahine: ka taki karakia kia huri ōna kōiwi hei tuna, ka haere ki te moana. Kei te hopukina taua tuna e te iwi o Turakipo, ka kai, ka mate. Ko *A Maori Dragon Story* he toi i te tīmatanga o te aronga whanokē a Reihana i te mahi toi e pā ana ki te mātātuhi kori me te toi matihiko.

In *A Maori Dragon Story*, 1995 Lisa Reihana tells the dramatic Kāi Tahu legend of the great beauty Hine Ao with stop-motion animation and puppets. With no dialogue, Reihana relies on the power and beauty of music to support the unfolding narrative in which the rangatira (chief) Turakipo falls deeply in love with Hine Ao. She refuses him and Turakipo is so angered that he places a curse on her and she dies. Hine Ao’s heartbroken father then devises a plan to avenge the death of his daughter: he prays over her bones which transform into an eel and enters the sea. Turakipo’s people catch the eel and eat it, and die soon after. *A Maori Dragon Story* represents the early beginings of Reihana’s pioneering work in time-based, moving image and digital media.

To find out which artworks are available for print requests and reproduction please enquire here. This service only applies to select artworks in the Gallery's collection.