Hoana Forrester
Bio
Marotiri te maunga
Mangahauini te awa
Te Whānau a Ruataupare me Te Aotāwarirangi ngā hapu
Ngāti Porou te iwi
Ko Hoana Forrester ahau
Description
Artwork: Bounded beautiful
Whakamarama:
When the winds of life blow hard, one person standing alone can be knocked down.
But a hāpu that pulls together becomes like the strands of rope — each fibre may be thin, but when woven, nothing can break it.
We share the load, we share the warmth, we check on our kaumatua and our mokopuna.
What one whānau doesn’t have, another can bring.
What one heart cannot carry, many hearts can lift.
Like the rope, we are strongest not because of one strand, but because of the weaving.
Tightly bound in aroha, we bend, we hold, and we endure.
Social - Coming Soon
Contact - hoana.f@gmail.com
Link to research
Hoana’s poetic reflection draws on the powerful metaphor of rope to describe collective resilience: “When the winds of life blow hard, one person standing alone can be knocked down. But a hapū that pulls together becomes like the strands of rope — each fibre may be thin, but when woven, nothing can break it.”
This image resonates deeply with the research findings, which highlight the central role of whānau, hapū, and community in weathering the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle. As one participant shared:
“We got through because of each other. If one whānau didn’t have something, another would bring it.”
Hoana captures this exact spirit in her words: “We share the load, we share the warmth, we check on our kaumātua and our mokopuna. What one heart cannot carry, many hearts can lift.”
The report underscores that resilience is relational, not individual:
“It was the weaving together of aroha, resources, and collective action that enabled people to endure.”
Hoana’s piece honours that weaving. Bound together in aroha, her words remind us that strength lies not in standing alone, but in the rope we create when we hold each other tight.
