Tiki

The three brightly coloured Tiki by Albert McCarthy, are another wonderful addition to our town. This sculpture draws its inspiration from the celestial and the spiritual, and brings with it a message of peace.

The colours of the three tiki each have meaning, the blue represents our lake, Taupo nui a tia, the red represents Papatuanuku, the earth, and the yellow represents Mahanahana, the warmth. All three colours come together to create the rainbow, reaching up to the heavens. These ideas are also represented by a cutout in the centre of each tiki. The red tiki has a heart in the centre, this is the Manawa and relates back to the lake being the heart of Te Ika a Maui.

There is a fourth tiki, with two hearts in the centre, being erected in tandem with this sculpture at Te Kura Nga Motu in Taranaki. The hands of all of the tiki are open, reaching out towards you symbolizing peace. The heads of the tiki are shaped into mountains, linking all four sculptures together through the legend of Taranaki Maunga and his relationship to the mountains of the Central Plateau, Ruapehu, Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Pihanga.

A huge thank you to our sponsors: McDonalds, Westerman Property Solutions, Cafe Baku and Towncentre Taupo.

Albert McCarthy is a Tuwharetoa artist, who has mastered a variety of mediums from stone to stainless steel, from canvas to paper. Albert’s skilful works speak from the heart and tell the unique stories of his ancestry and connection to the land.

A professional artist, Albert’s artworks have been exhibited though-out New Zealand and are held in public and private collections world-wide.