Māori Language Week, or Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, is an annual event that celebrates the unique culture and language of Māori people. In 2024, Māori Language Week runs from 14th – 21th September. The event aims to encourage New Zealanders to speak the Māori language proudly and to incorporate it into their everyday lives.

To celebrate Māori Language Week, artist Joe Carrington has created a series of illustrations which show fun interactions in Westfield centres, along with common phrases which have been translated into Māori. Joe belongs to the Rongowhakaata Iwi (tribe) of New Zealand’s east coast and although not fluent in Te Reo Māori, he has used the language frequently throughout his education and professional career.

With his expressive, contemporary style, Joe has become one of New Zealand’s leading illustrators. We met with Joe to learn more about his heritage and the inspiration behind the work.

Kia ora Joe, we love the unique pieces you have created for Westfield – can you talk us through the work and the inspiration behind the illustrations?

This campaign was a pleasure to work on, creating some fun and playful interactions between characters one would see in any visit to their local mall using such a vibrant palette. What I wanted to convey were relatable characters, with maybe some more updated scenarios. Using inspiration of being a new dad wandering the mall for some much needed out-of-the-house time, to taking our kids to take part in various in-mall activities during school holidays.

How does your heritage influence your art and inspire you?

With my genetic roots firmly planted in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa (Gisborne to be precise), on the East coast of New Zealand, the Iwi (tribe) of Rongowhakaata were especially renowned for their creativity and art. From a more focused perspective, my late father was a fantastic talent and something I’ve aspired to all my life.

What does Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) mean to you and your whānau?

As I was growing up, Māori was definitely present, but nothing like it is today. Recently as an adult, I was reflecting on the difference between the use of Te Reo in the present and when I was growing up, and recalling the children's entertainers of my youth and how personalities like Suzy Cato would use Te Reo in her show so naturally and with great diction. To me it felt like that reached a generation that have now grown up where it’s common to greet someone with a knowing ‘Kia Ora’.

Flash-forward to present day and both our daughter and son come home from kindy using Te Reo very naturally and enthusiastically. The amount of cheerful choruses of Te Reo waiata sung on the way home, or the fact our 2-year-old farewells his kindy friends with a charming ‘Ka Kite’ every afternoon is nothing short of spectacular.

How do you incorporate Te Reo Māori into everyday life and do you have any tips to help others get involved in Māori Language Week?

In everyday activities with our kids, there’s always a lot of songs that help with the basics of counting, colours and the alphabet. Many, many well-worn books on colours and the alphabet in Te Reo. So, when items are counted, or colours identified, it’s always in both English and Te Reo.

A lot of Anika Moa’s albums are consumed in our household, and our son never went for his daily nap with me without a few renditions of the Te Reo version ‘One day a Taniwha’ – in fact for a time there it was the only song in the car that would allow us to drive him anywhere.

Getting involved, we often attend events at our local libraries and mall surrounding Māori Language Week. Last year we watched the Kapa Haka groups performing in the malls, and libraries and made poi so the kids could follow along with the amazing performances.

Head to your local Westfield to see Joe Carrington's Māori Language Week artwork or learn more about his art here.

Join in the Māori Language Week celebrations at your local Westfield by visiting the What’s Happening page on their website.