Mat Tait is a South Island-based illustrator of European and Māori
descent. He gained a BFA in painting from Ilam School of Arts and
now lives and works in the Motueka area.
Prior to Te Wehenga, Mat's most recent book was The Adventures of
Tupaia with writer Courtney Sina Meredith, for which he was the
recipient of the Russell Clark Award for Illustration at the 2020
New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. His comics
work has been published widely both locally and internationally,
including The Heading Dog Who Split In Half with writer Dr Michael
Brown.
Mat is a fluent speaker of te reo Māori. He tutors under the
kaupapa of Te Ataarangi, and continues to learn.
Tait's writing is poetic and full of wairua. He threads heart and
feeling through the fabric of the book. These illustrations are
like nothing I've seen before. They are simply stunning - moody,
dark and dripping with meaning Te Wehenga is a masterpiece that is
so much more than 'just a book'. It belongs on every bookshelf. -
Rebekah Fraser, NZ Book Lovers
In Te Wehenga, the art and the words are all Mat's, and the end
result is an absolute treasure. - Briar Lawry, The Sapling
Te Wehenga The Separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku is a bold and
beautiful thing. It is all so very ... finely furious, so
vigorously shown, it seems as sure a celebration of the body and
also therefore of humanity itself. It is a triumph, a taonga, a
treasure.'- S J Mannion, takahē magazine
'What an extraordinary, special, hold to your heart, savour in your
ear and eye, cradle in your arms, the sublime Te Wehenga: The
Separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku by Mat Tait is. The book
retells the the Māori creation story, of sky-father, Ranginui, and
earth-mother, Papatūānuku. Fluent in both languages, Matt weaves te
reo Māori and English; the stunning internal design brings together
word and image so magnificently, with such movement, you are in the
dark, you feel the darkness.
And this is what makes this book so utterly special. It is a book
you feel. It is a creation story you feel. I feel the
claustrophobia, the struggle, the discussion, the disagreement, the
resolve and determination, the pain and the sadness, the separation
and the connection, and I feel such hope. I feel the move from dark
to light in the pores of my skin, such an intake of breath. Such a
physical trembling and emotional uplift.
This is a book you must read and share and celebrate. The artwork
is stunning, the interplay of languages is necessary, the gift of
this book in the world immeasurable.' Paula Green, Poetry Box
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