Matariki Mural Brings Star Power to Wellington Streets
Wellington's urban landscape just got a cosmic upgrade. A collective of local artists has put the final touches on a large-scale mural inspired by the stars of Matariki, blending Māori astronomy with modern city life.
Dreamgirls Art Collective, made up of Miriama Grace-Smith (Ngāti Toa, Ngāpuhi, Te Arawa, Ngāti Porou), Xoë Hall (Kai Tahu), and Gina Kiel, collaborated with jewellery brand Pandora to create the mural at the intersection of Ghuznee and Leeds Streets in central Wellington. The artwork is a bold statement about identity, culture, and the natural world.
What does the mural depict?
The mural shows a modern wahine from Te Whanganui-a-Tara, surrounded by symbols inspired by each of the nine stars of Matariki and their unique meanings. Grace-Smith explained that the team wanted to celebrate Matariki in a way that felt authentic to their own experiences.
“We thought of the idea of the parts of the wahine in the mural being elements of being a star. So there's parts in the mural that are elements of each star,” she said.
The wahine herself is drawn from the artists' community. “We all are from Te Whanganui-a-Tara, so the wahine in the mural, she's inspired a lot from our creative mates especially, like, the modern Māori mates that are... living in between the past and present as, like, confident Māori in the city.”
The working title was “Slay in the City,” though Grace-Smith admitted it didn't quite match the Pandora vibes. Still, the spirit of empowerment remains central.
How does the mural connect with Matariki?
Gina Kiel hopes the mural encourages people to learn about Matariki. “Hopefully it makes people take a bit of time to look for [the stars] and figure out what parts mean what, because... for people who don't know about Matariki, there'll be some learning.”
Xoë Hall added that the mural is also about wāhine empowerment. “It's quite like, you know, about empowerment for wāhine as well. So we do hope that any wāhine that walk past the mural feel inspired and empowered, and maybe see a bit of themselves in it.”
What else came from this collaboration?
Inspired by the artwork, Dreamgirls and Pandora have created a collection of nine charms, one for each star of the Matariki cluster, each with a different symbol from the mural. Kiel noted that Pandora went the extra mile to bring the artists' colourful style to the charms.
“Usually they're engraved charms, but I think [Pandora] could see with our work how colourful our work is... which is another really cool thing about the collab, they went away and did some mahi in the background to make it even better, to, I guess, represent our work even better on the charms, bringing the colour in.”
The Wellington-based trio have been working together for about six years, and Kiel said this is one of their biggest projects yet. “I think it'll probably be the project that's sort of spreads the farthest, you know, in terms of people seeing it who maybe didn't know about us before.”
As a collective, they plan to keep going for the long haul. “If we continue to get opportunities that allow us to continue to collaborate, I can't see us ever stopping,” Kiel said.
Hall added that they have decided to take on just one big project a year to avoid burnout. “Because we are really good friends as well, it's important we stay friends,” Grace-Smith said.
Why does this matter for New Zealand?
This mural is more than public art. It is a living example of how Māori knowledge and contemporary culture can coexist and thrive. It challenges us to see the stars not just as celestial bodies but as guides for identity, community, and creativity. In a city that prides itself on being open and progressive, this artwork is a reminder that our stories are written in the sky and on our streets.
Photo: RNZ