Artwork Information

With stylistic references to McCahon, Hotere and Para Matachitt, this painting reflects Allen’s interest in the histories of Aotearoa. The inscription references the legendary Māori traveller, Tamatea-Pokai-Whenua (Tamatea the explorer of Land). Te Ti (Horse) is rich with iconography central to Allen’s later paintings, inspired by the life of Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki (1814-1893), a Māori leader and the founder of the Ringatu faith. Allen like others was influenced by the timely publication of Judith Binney’s seminal book on Te Kooti, Redemption Songs: A Life of Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki in 1995.

“These symbols were repeated on Te Kooti’s flag captured at Te Porere. The additional letters ‘W’ and ‘I’ were used to mark the holy day (which from the 1860s was from every tenth day in the Pai Mārire calendar) in the King Country and they probably stood for the Holy Spirit, Wairua Tapu. ‘WI’ is also understood to refer to the Holy Spirit in the Ringatu Faith The large crescent moon was presumably a tohu (portent) of a new world, the red cross presumably the fighting cross of the Archangel Michael… The white horse references the horse (Te Ia) ridden by the Maori prophet Rua Kenana 1869-1937 who claimed he was brother to Christ and son of Te Kooti Rikirangi.” (Redemption Songs, plate 3.)” --- Allen in Skin of Years, p254.