Niflheim. From the series: Tua o Tāwauwau / Away with the Fairies

Niflheim, 2020

In Nifleheim, a young red-headed patupaiarehe sunbathes, veiled in smoke. The pose is casual, calm in nature and hints at a deeper mysticism through Tia's capture of the playfulness of smoke. This series is hot on the premise of real-day patupaiarehe living among people, where they have abandoned the forests and mountains of the past for the apathetic leisure of suburban New Zealand. Through this narrative Tia reflects on the modernisation of culture, and of how the old world interacts with the new. The name Nifleheim, taken from Scandinavian folklore, refers to the dark, misty realm of the dead ruled by the goddess Hel.

This image is from the series Tua o Tāwauwau / Away with the Fairies which began with six works and has expanded to twelve (and is potentially still expanding). This series is curious in nature with an edge of mystery, dealing with the narratives of patupaiarehe who in some Māori narratives were the other-worldly original inhabitants of Aotearoa. For some today, patupaiarehe are considered real, venturing out only at night in the forests and mountains. Although they are rarely seen, they are said to have pale skin and red hair. They are sometimes heard singing or playing koauau and are one of the reasons why playing taonga pūoro or whistling is frowned upon at night Redhead and fair-haired Māori offspring were sometimes said to be the result of a patupaiarehe parent. While stories and narratives of patupaiarehe are common among Māori, the more serious narratives are still considered tapu by many and in some iwi they are not a topic that can be freely discussed without potentially drawing their (unwanted) attention.

Reference: Undiscovered: Tia Ranginui, Art Collector issue 96, April to June 2021.