Mana

Amber Jean Hornsby

Mana is defined in the dictionary as authority, control, influence, prestige, power and honour.
An important part of New Zealand Maori culture is Mana. It is a spiritual quality considered to have supernatural origin – a sacred impersonal force existing in the universe. Therefore to have mana is to have influence and authority, and efficacy, the power to perform in a given situation.This poster typographically explores both the meaning of Mana and the patterns of a traditional feathered Maori cloak worn by those with authority. The main font used shows hierarchy, boldness and power. The type placed on top of the type also reflects this. The strong bold geometric shapes replicate the patterns often found a Maori cloak and the secondary text and use of rules furthermore alludes to the feathers that dangle at the bottom.
The colours used within this poster are more contemporary than the customary black, red and white Maori colours. They are inspired by the earthy rich tones of a feathered cloak. The dominant colour purple is used because of it associations with nobility and spirituality.

Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
Second Semester Year three

Ranginui

Thomas le Bas

I wished to portray a part of New Zealand Maori culture through a their creation myth of Ranginui and Papatuanuku. The sky father Ranginui is symbolized by the use of vertical lines to emphasize sky and rain.
I intended to have the text as clouds, which rain falls from. I was able to have this text stand out using white on the blues, and using a subtle gradient to give it some depth. Originally I had intended the poster to be two shades of blue and white. I changed the colour at the end with inspiration from the stained glass Ranginui door at the Marae at Te Papa, giving a lot more colour and vibrancy, making it stand out as a poster.

Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
Second Semester Year three