Carin Wilson (Kāhui Whetu) Hon.Dip.Des. FDINZ, Toi Iho

TaitokerauArt, Design, Architecture, Co-Design

Design touches almost everything in the world we live in today, mostly invisibly, and by stealth! By the time we are familiar with it, it’s already done. The houses we live in, cars we drive, clothes we wear, pens we write with, films we watch; somewhere there’s the hand of a designer in all of them. Problem is, all design is not necessarily good design. To execute it well we have to consider its impact: on our culture and psychology, the environment and resources, on energy use and future generations. The unique kaitiakitanga factor.

This life-affirming dimension in design resonates well within our Polynesian genes. Te Moana-nui-a-kiwa and Aotearoa gave us an environment that flows creativity in our bloodlines. Intuitively we respond to the gifts of her form, growing skills to fashion images of what we discovered, oratory and song to mimick what we heard, dance to reflect the grace of movement in wind and tide. No wonder it is our creativity that has led us to our greatest triumph: the very survival of our precious culture.
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Carin Wilson is a studio furnituremaker, sculptor and design educator. He was a leader in the country’s craft movement in the 1970s, 80s and 90s and was one of the inaugurators of the design showcase Artiture in 1987. Other notable moments include solo exhibitions and origination and development of public and private projects with a cultural focus.