Claire White

clairewhite1Ko Aoraki te mauka
Ko Waitaki te awa
Ko Kati Huirapa te hapu
Ko Kai Tahu te iwi
Ko Claire Kaahu White ahau
Tena koutou

clairewhite2As my pepeha says I am Kai Tahu. I have been living in Hokianga for the past 5 years and although I am a long way from my home in the South I feel my strong connection to this place through my partner Paul and our 3 wonderful tamariki who are Ngai Tupoto (from Motukaraka Marae).

clairewhite3I feel it’s a privilege to live here and be part of this ancient and very beautiful place. Since arriving here, Hokianga has been my inspiration, the land, the sea, the people. He mihi mahana k a koutou.

Since it’s opening I have worked with the Village Arts collective and have exhibited in various exhibitions held there but it’s time to move on and in so doing I am actually going backwards, back to film, (I have been taking digital images for the past few years) and black and white images.