7 Dec 2022Artist Shann Whitaker, in collaboration with The Te Whai Community Trust, recently unveiled a new mural ‘THE INTERCONNECTION OF ALL LIVING THINGS’, on the wall of the centre in Mangawhai, Northland. Shann was one of ten artists from across the country who took out the top prize in Keep New Zealand Beautiful’s Resene Nature Mural Competition 2022, to paint a mural with an environmental theme or message and to help beautify an area. Shann’s mural features elements of the local area and is visible to both foot and vehicle traffic along the main road in and out of Mangawhai. “The inspiration for my mural at The Te Whai Trust Community Center is mother earth blowing her breath of creativity across Mangawhai (Bay of Stingray). The fish hooks symbolise a connection to the ocean while the ever changing weather creates a backdrop for our beautiful natural coastal community.” Shann used a selection of Resene paint colours in the mural including Resene Forest Green, St Kilda, Celebrate and Red Hot. THE INTERCONNECTION OF ALL LIVING THINGS by Shann Whitaker About the Resene Nature Murals Competition The Resene Nature Murals Competition, which is part of the Paint New Zealand Beautiful programme, ran from April to June 2022. Community members were called on to submit mural designs, which include an environmental message, for a wall to paint in their local community. Artists from around the country sent in their designs, with the top ten murals selected based on their environmental message, enhancement of the community, and originality/creativity. Winners then have 12 months to bring their mural to life. Winning designs receive a $750 Resene paint voucher and other materials to paint their mural, receive a $1,000 grant upon completion Keep New Zealand Beautiful CEO, Heather Saunderson, says: “Our Resene Nature Murals Competition provides a great opportunity for artists to beautify their local communities. In its sixth year, this competition continues to grow in popularity and we’re always so impressed with the calibre of entries we receive that narrowing down the selection to just ten winners is getting harder and harder. We’re so excited to see these murals come to life, knowing how the beautification of public spaces greatly benefits communities by increasing civic pride and deterring vandalism and anti-social behaviour such as littering and graffiti.” The ten winning artists and regions are listed below, and their designs can be viewed here. Micaela van den Berg, Sunrise, Kaipara Brigita Botma, Harmony, Auckland Carol Green & Kim Littlejohn, Bringing Nature to the City, Auckland Corey Harbrow, Keep NZ Beautiful, Christchurch Danny Owen, Nature, Invercargill Leon Hohepa, Future Generations, Porirua Matt Russell, Resilience, Wellington Paranika Dudley Heeth, The Return of Nature, Auckland Shann Whitaker, The Interconnection of all Living Things, Mangawhai Vanessa Barclay, The World is in Our Hands, Cambridge Share this page
