AS 90913: Robyn Kahukiwa Text and Image - Blog Post 2

How does the arrangement help the story?

In this artwork, the color scheme she uses is dark green, yellow, brown, and dark red. These colors kind of give you an uncomfortable feeling along with the women with empty staring eyes and titled heads resembling a hei tiki. But one of them is facing away from the audience. She looks like she's resting or perhaps in pain of bearing the child. 

What does Robyn Kahukiwa have to say about being a woman and being Maori in her artwork?

As Robyn Kahukiwa was born in Australia, she lost her connection with her family and culture until she was 19 and returned to New Zealand. She then rediscovers her Maori heritage. She creates artwork that is mostly about Maori women's empowerment. As women in the media are misportrayed, She paints backgrounds of stormy skies, lava eruptions, and puddles that resemble blood behind Maori women who would usually wear feathers symbolizing leadership and standing up tall and staring straight at the audience. She also often paints women who are pregnant showing that women are the start of life.

The difference between realism and stylization of figures. How does Kahukiwas's style reflect this?

As I have mentioned before, Robyn Kahukiwa draws some women in her paintings head tilting resembling the hei tiki. Other New Zealand artists influenced her works like Colin McCahon, we can see his influence on Robyn Kahukiwa's work from the way she paints some of her backgrounds and Ralph Hotere, where we can see his influence through her color choice and how she conveys her messages through her paintings. Another artist which influenced her art from Mexico named Frida Kahlo. Frida Kahlo paints her portraits always staring at the audience without expressions and staying still with no dynamic movements. Through the influence of these artists, Robyn is able to stylize her works creating her own reality. If the art style used was realism, I personally think it would give more impact but you will get too lost in the details of the face instead of looking at the whole picture. The stylization helps with understanding the meaning of the image even though the figures don't have any expression, it still looks dynamic.