Te Tiriti o Waitangi needs no introduction, a historic document signed between a colonising Empire and a native state that is unique in the history of the world. Perhaps only the Magna Carta is of similar significance, though it did not address a specific peoples. 

History books tell us Te Tiriti o Waitangi was translated from the English document by the Reverend Williams and his son, Edward Williams. The English draft was initially scribed by Captain Wiliam Hobson. And it was William Colenso who typeset and printed in relief two hundred copies of Te Tiriti at the Press of the Church Missionary Society, Paihia, for distribution and to gather signatures.

"Colenso's most memorable work of this sort was the printing of the Māori text of the Treaty of Waitangi on 17 February 1840. At the signing, his cautious representations to Lieutenant Governor William Hobson that many Māori were unaware of the meaning of the treaty were brusquely set aside." The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

The print, ‘Te Tiriti o Waitangi - Colenso’s Run’, reflects on the process of the Treaty coming into being in an anthropological sense and the legacy it leaves for contemporary New Zealand.

Utilizing his unique ability to write in mirror and influenced by events such as the Hikoi led by Dame Whina Cooper to Parliament in 1976 through to modern-day research and feelings amongst the peoples of New Zealand, William (born 1965, Gisborne) has carved the te reo Māori text into a lino surface in reverse so that when printed, the text appears as readable.

This mirror writing serves not only as a technical aspect of relief printmaking, paralleling Colensos work, but also as a juxtaposed metaphor for how these documents reflect our history and how one may see oneself in the mirror versus how others may see you, when we must all share the same page. For example, imagine for a moment standing on the opposite side of this print and looking outward. 

"The English treaty and the te reo tiriti held different meanings. Māori and Pākehā therefore had different expectations of the treaty’s terms. Ever since, resolution of these differences has presented New Zealand with challenges." Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Unframed prints available for $2500.