Tiki
New Zealand Paddle Ferns Supporters Poster
New Zealand Paddle Ferns Supporters Poster
THE CHALLENGE
The Paddle Ferns are the New Zealand Women's Canoe Polo representative team. Ranked fourth in the world, the team headed off to the 2010 World Championships in Italy with high aspirations of medalling. At the World Champs each team is given a small tent to base themselves in for the duration of the competition. The tents are stark and boring. The challenge was to bring a sense of New Zealand to the environment.
THE SOLUTION
Wanting to make the area as 'kiwi' as possible I was inspired by the concept of recreating a maere. In order to achieve this I designed a Tiki that was made up of kiwi slang, motivational words in Maori and reference to the team, event and location of the World Champs. Inspired by the carvings that act as guardians of a maere I chose to hang one large Tiki, printed as a poster, at the entrance to the teams tent. Here the Tiki acted as a guardian of the athletes that sheltered within. Mimicking the insides of a maere a number of smaller Tikis hung inside the tent.
THE RESULT
For a team competing on the world stage so far from home, the Paddle Ferns 'Tiki' both acted as a guardian to the athletes but also brought great motivation and strength to the team. Ultimately the Tiki's helped recreate the teams own little maere thus bringing a little bit of home into the teams environment.
The Paddle Ferns are the New Zealand Women's Canoe Polo representative team. Ranked fourth in the world, the team headed off to the 2010 World Championships in Italy with high aspirations of medalling. At the World Champs each team is given a small tent to base themselves in for the duration of the competition. The tents are stark and boring. The challenge was to bring a sense of New Zealand to the environment.
THE SOLUTION
Wanting to make the area as 'kiwi' as possible I was inspired by the concept of recreating a maere. In order to achieve this I designed a Tiki that was made up of kiwi slang, motivational words in Maori and reference to the team, event and location of the World Champs. Inspired by the carvings that act as guardians of a maere I chose to hang one large Tiki, printed as a poster, at the entrance to the teams tent. Here the Tiki acted as a guardian of the athletes that sheltered within. Mimicking the insides of a maere a number of smaller Tikis hung inside the tent.
THE RESULT
For a team competing on the world stage so far from home, the Paddle Ferns 'Tiki' both acted as a guardian to the athletes but also brought great motivation and strength to the team. Ultimately the Tiki's helped recreate the teams own little maere thus bringing a little bit of home into the teams environment.
