Aurei

Aurei is a sculpture standing over six metres tall by artist Rangi Kipa. Made of bronze and anodised aluminium, Aurei is a site specific piece that was designed to be viewed against the Whatu kākahu, the woven facade of the Student Centre. 

The pieces work in tandem, the many interwoven strands of the whatu kākahu referencing the multi-ethnic fabric of Aotearoa; and Aurei, represents the University of Waikato as an institution that sews together the fabric of the past to the future aspirations of the students. In Māori tradition, the aurei had a dual purpose, as a clasp to hold a cloak closed, and as a needle. The artwork suggests the spirit of unity and the common pursuit of knowledge and understanding, symbolically tying people, relationships, kaupapa and ideologies together. 

'Aurei' was inspired by this whakatauki said by the first Māori king Potatau Te Wherowhero:  

Kotahi te kohao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro ma, te miro pango, te miro whero - There is but one eye of a needle, through which white, black and red thread must pass.  
Here Potatau champions kotahitanga and manaakitanga, the concepts of unity and care  for others through respect, support and kindness. Individual threads, while unique, are weaker than when they are woven together. It celebrates diversity and encourages unity towards a common goal. 

Kipa is a Māori sculptor, carver, illustrator and tā moko (Māori tattooing) artist with ties to Taranaki, Te Atiawa and Ngāti Maniapoto tribes. Working with traditional and modern material his works are held in major collections across New Zealand. As a practitioner Kipa believes in facilitating development; that it is about preparing and planning for generations to come and that our job is to facilitate looking after the next generation. He has said “If you can change the skill base of an individual, you change the ability of the whole community to earn a living” therefore if a group learns the skills to continue to develop on their own, they can teach the next generation and contribute to self-determination. 

Rangi Kipa is a University of Waikato alumnus, his sculpture speaks to the institution's role in connecting students with their future ambitions. The aurei rises high above the viewer, as if floating off towards the sky, supported by three threads. Standing apart from the whatu  kākahu it does not clasp the cloak shut, nor does it provide any evidence that it is to sew. More, it provides the viewer with tools, the resources they need to weave their own narrative while also being tied into the narrative of their peers and the University who share their journey.