Pepeha is commonly a method of introduction for Maori, describing your connection to your hapu and Iwi. Incorporating the commemorative function of the locket into my work I have photographed this series entitled Pepeha.
Photography captures the essence of an image with such precision and manifests its memory in a physical object. Lockets allow this object, to be touched, held in the hand and carried. As tangible items these lockets highlight the significance of the photographic image as taonga tuku iho, those possessions which iwi, hapu and whānau consider to be the most precious and valued. These possessions are handed on to succeeding generations to ensure their identity and whakapapa remain intact.
Placing images that reference specific aspects of my pepeha inside these lockets, I acknowledge my connection to my ancestors, one which I carry with me always.
