Papanui Library was gifted the name ‘Te Kete Wānanga o Papanui’ which has utilised the rich history of the area and incorporated it into the essence of the library.

‘Te Kete Wananga’ translates to the ‘baskets of knowledge’ which references the three baskets of knowledge that hold significance to Te Ao Māori and the methods in which Māori learn and interpret information.

Papanui refers to ‘platform in a tree – for a bird snarer’ – Te Aka.

The translated term for ‘Papanui’ links in with the history of the area and the traditional use and ahua (nature) of the whenua. With the whenua once being a location that hosted an abundance of resources that were vital to Māori.

The area we know now as Papanui once had a large standing of bush that was considered a prize resource to tangata whenua, its traditional use was that of a ‘mahinga kai’ (food and resource gathering location). This large section of bush housed an abundance of forest resources, that were vital to local Māori and Christchurch.

A few of the different resources and their uses have been listed below:

Physical Resources:

As there was a large standing of bush with high quality resources that held a lot of significance to local Māori, here is a list of the key resources and their common uses:

Tōtara - Tōtara is a prized resource with a reddish-brown tinge that has been commonly used in crafting waka, building and for whakairo (carving). It is still a highly prized carving wood today.

Mātai - Mātai was commonly milled, and used significantly for flooring and windowsills, it is also commonly used as a carving wood.

Harakeke - Harakeke is one of our most precious resources and is still a prized resource in modern times. This plant was used to make clothes, bags, rope and for medicine. Today it is still used for most of these things.

A few other resources commonly found within the Papanui area were Kahikatea and Kānuka.

Food Resources:

Papanui Bush was more commonly known for its forest resources, below are a few different resources that were found in the area and their common uses.

Tui - They were a prized resources that offered many things to Māori. Such as kai (food), feathers for clothing and not to mention their beautiful singing voices.

Kereru - They were also a very prized resource. These birds were fat and easy to catch because they often got drunk on overripe berries. The fat from these birds was also rendered down and used to preserve food through the season

Assessment Criteria

Artwork will be assessed by the following criteria:

Brief

How well does the subject matter reflect the bilingual story of whenua on which Te Kete Wānanga o Papanui sits?

Has the artist taken into consideration the physical space and/or the local neighbourhood in their artistic choices?

Technique and Design

Do the techniques used by the artist convey their ideas in a clear and engaging way?

How thoughtfully has the artist utilised design features (colour, shape, composition etc.) to enhance their ideas?

Other Considerations

How successfully has the artist explored topic/theme? Does the artist put forward ideas/a perspective that provokes emotions and discussion with their audience?

Does the work stand on its own as a complete and outstanding work?

Terms and Conditions

Entries must have correct and legible contact details.

Artist is between the ages of 12 and 18.

The competition is open from Sunday 1 December to 6pm, Friday 31 January 2025.

Artwork must be submitted in person to Papanui Library.

Artwork must be submitted in an original format, and can include paintings, drawings, mixed media, and collage.

Only one artwork per person can be submitted.

Winning artworks will be digitised, printed onto vinyl and displayed on the library windows.

All entries accepted for display will be digitised and exhibited on Papanui Library’s digital screen.

Christchurch City Libraries retains the sole discretion to not accept an artwork for display for any reason.

On submitting the artwork, the artist will complete an exhibition agreement, agreeing the original artwork will remain the property of Christchurch City Libraries for the duration of the competition, and until the works are displayed.

The original artwork can be returned to the artist after the Make (Y)our Space exhibition has opened, when they can be collected from Papanui Library.

Christchurch City Libraries will contact the winners by Friday 14 February.

Winners will be announced on christchurchcitylibraries.com and social media.