MANA

50 x 70 cm 2-colour screen print

The image is a pencil sketch done by Ranui Samuels in 2005, from a painting by CF Goldie.

"Mana is many things; To have mana is to have great authority, presence or prestige. It is honour. It is respect. Mana instils reverence and admiration. Mana respects others too. It is power. Mana is who we are as a people and as a nation: it embodies our culture, our history, our beliefs. Mana is sacred. It is complex. It touches the very soul.

"The man in the photo is a well known Maori Chieftain dressing up like the white colonialists.

"Why I refer to this as MANA is that the inner power and prestige of this man is so self evident. Dressed up in foreign clothes, the magical persona of this man is what MANA is - it can not be diminished or affected by external appearance, clothes or circumstances. For me, this is the battle of the mind, the soul, the self - to find your value - your MANA - deep within you and centre yourself on this truth.

"Fight the battle in your mind that declares you to be worthless - find your MANA - believe that truth. Fight depression, low self esteem, clothe your mind, RISE to overcome."
Ranui Samuels

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Printed on FSC certified paper produced from 100% virgin ECF fibre.

The ink used is mixed by hand, and although the aim is for a specific colour they can sometimes vary by small amounts.