KARAKIA & BLESSINGS AT SANDS CARVING STUDIO
KARAKIA & BLESSINGS AT SANDS CARVING STUDIO
At Sands Carving Studio, every piece we create is part of a larger story—one that honours the cultural traditions of Aotearoa and the deep connection between the people and land.
Karakia (or prayer) is a way to build a spiritual connection between a seemingly inert object and the participants of the prayer. Through karakia, we connect to our tīpuna and our heritage, we acknowledge and call upon the spirits of our world to bless our efforts.
Karakia can be focused and practical, like a carver connecting to the spirit of the pounamu before applying blade to stone, to create a deeper, more meaningful conversation with the material and the source of inspiration. Other karakia can be greater and more encompassing, such as the blessing of our new whare whakairo.
In the video below, you’ll hear about how we use karakia to prepare our space, our tools, and each piece we make:
VIDEO
Understanding Karakia in our creative space
As explained in the video, the karakia for our new whare whakairo serve to clear the way forward and remove any residual energy left behind from the preparation and building process. We start with a prayer called wairere to remove what has been, creating a fresh beginning that gives us a blank slate to focus on infusing each piece with intention and respect.
From there, other karakia are spoken with specific purposes and goals in mind. These may invite spirits into the space to infuse it with peace and tranquillity, creating a calm atmosphere for our artisans to work in harmony with the materials. Along with karakia for the preparation of our new space, recognition and gratitude of the blessings and opportunities that God and atua have provided us with to make this endeavour possible. Poutini (the atua of pounamu) gets special attention in this regard, given our chosen profession.
Guidance and inspiration from our tīpuna
Karakia don’t just honour the past—they are about creating new stories, adding to the legacy of Aotearoa in a way that reminds us of our place within the great whakapapa and the small role we have in contributing to and passing along the great story.
Calling upon our tīpuna, our ancestors, and the atua to guide and inspire us in our creative efforts is the cornerstone of karakia in the Sands Carving Studio workshop. This practice helps us create not just with our hands but with our hearts, infusing each piece with spirit and life that will continue on beyond our embrace.
