Alex Wong
Ko Maunga Kōhatu me Whakarara ngā maunga
Ko Ngamoko te awa
Ko Wainui te moana
Ko Rāwhitiroa te Pā
Ko Muimui te tupuna
Ko Ngatikimatawhaorua te waka
Ko Ngāpuhi me Ngāti Kahu ngā iwi
Ko Ngatiruamahue te hapū
Ko Wainui te marae
Ko Areka Wong tēnei
Artist Statement
Areka Wong is a descendant of Ngāti Kahu and Ngāpuhi on his mother’s side, and Chinese and Irish heritage on his father’s side. He was brought up in Whaingaroa, Te Tai Tokerau where he now lives after some years in Ōtaki and Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
His work is rooted in his relationship with the taiao and is passionate about using materials from his local environment, from clays through to pigments now exploring glazes. Areka's practice is constantly developing alongside his friends, whānau, rangahau, play and influences from te ao hurihuri.
Tikanga Māori lays at the foundations of Areka’s mahi and is reflected in the way he intentionally upholds the interrelationships between whenua, iwi, hapu, and whānau. As a Ringa-uku, he acknowledges the realm of atua wahine as an integral source of his practice-