I Am Rotorua – Dallas Hawe

I Am Rotorua

Dallas Hawe (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Tamateatūtahi - Kawiti, Ngāti Rongomai) is a 2023 graduate of Te Wānanga Whakairo Rākau o Aotearoa – The National Wood Carving School at New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute. He’s also a kapa haka performer and lives with his whānau in his home since birth, Ōhinemutu.

“Growing up in Rotorua was pretty fun, to be honest. I felt like there was lots to do, especially growing up here in Ōhinemutu. There was always people to see and just fun things to do as a kid. I mean, you could ride your scooter or your bike all the way around this area and not really have to worry about anything really, all you had to worry about falling into hot pools but it was cool.

“I really enjoyed my upbringing and just being surrounded by our culture. Being Māori and being brought up in Rotorua is just really cool because you’re always connected. [It] gave me a real strong understanding of who I am and sort of guided me to what I wanted to do as well. I'd like to think that my kids would feel the same being brought up here.

“My parents, my grandparents and my great-grandmother are very special in my life. My great-grandmother stayed just across the road and she was a big part of shaping my life. She always gave solid advice when anything was going down and she always had a kai or lollies every day. She just showed love and it really shaped me. My koro and his involvement in the community, with all the different wānanga he runs and stuff as well, I feel like I'm kind of on that sort of path now and that's where I was hugely influenced by him.

“My favourite place in Rotorua is here, in Ōhinemutu – Te Papa-i-Ouru Marae, Tamatekapua, and Te Kuirau Marae are my favourite places. We have our little whānau kaupapa there, tucked away in our little corner, and then all the big, Te Arawa-wide stuff is just up there. There's always things on.

Beginning the Carving Kaupapa

“Living here in Ōhinemutu, I believe, gave me the interest in carving. There are four wharenui here and I was always around carvings. I used to play on the marae every day and I was always interested but I wasn’t really good at art when I was growing up. I wasn’t really an artist, but I think just being around it all the time, and being interested and always being fascinated by whakairo and all toi Māori, I was determined to learn. I always say that you don't have to be the best artist to do this, you just have to be passionate about the art.

“I graduated from the carving school in 2023. Since then, I've been carving from home and it's been great – my carving page on Facebook is Te Kōrapanga Māori Arts & Crafts. Sometimes you can get things done and not stress about it, but most of the time it is stressful. It's been interesting and challenging trying to figure out how to run a small business, but it's been cool at the same time and I just enjoy the freedom.

“My family and my kids inspire me to do what I do but I’m inspired by other artists and the things that people can come up with that they weren't taught, so using their own creativity. And I know that they were taught it because we were all taught in the same place so people that can come up with their own way of doing things, in their own style, that looks nothing like anything else that we've seen. On the contrary, I'm also inspired by all of the old stuff, all of the old carvings and carvers and how they managed to do stuff with little tools, under pressure while trying to get a whole wharenui done. I think I’m just inspired by creativity and being able to make things work.

“Kapa haka for me is another way of expressing myself, but it’s physical. Carving is like getting the creative stuff out of my brain and kapa haka is like getting the creativity out of my body. I perform in Piki Kōtuku. It’s like crossfit but with words. But when I get to do concerts, I feel like that's really where you can get creative with how you perform and figure out what your style of performing is. I just love kapa haka, I always have, and I grew up with some pretty cool performers such as my aunty Candice, my dad, they were pretty cool in their time so it was inspiring for me to have those sorts of people around and in such a beautiful place like Rotorua.”

~ Dallas Hawe, owner Te Kōrapanga Māori Arts & Crafts