Matariki (Māori New Year), Calendar and Brochure
When the star cluster known as Matariki appears in the night sky it signals the Māori New Year
and a time of new beginnings. Matariki is a significant event for Māori, and is widely acknowledged to signal a change of seasons. In traditional Māori society, Matariki was believed to foretell
whether the year ahead would be plentiful. It was also a time of festivity, when communities would come together to reflect on the past and look ahead to new beginnings.
My design of the calendar and the brochure for the Matariki event was inspired by traditional Māori
art, by weaving in particular. To show the stars of the cluster I used the little crosses which are
a replica to the Māori style weaving. The choice of the display typeface (Goodbye Crewel World NF) was also inspired by the weaving art. This is a representation of traditional lifestyle and the craft.
The pre-dawn rise of Matariki can be seen the best around 4 am or so. That is why my inspiration
for the colors came from pre-dawn and dusk colors. Also I was looking at earthy colors as Matariki is a big traditional celebration with lots of feasts and the traditional hāngī (earth oven) food.
I have printed the same design on different paper stock. It was interesting to see what the difference was. One version on the lighter background has more contrast. Second version on the glittery
paper is more subtle, it looks less contrast but more fancy and festive in a way. It would probably be more appropriate as a present for guests for some events, celebrations and festivals.
