A new mural celebrating Porirua’s rainbow community has been installed in the city centre after rangatahi first requested the project during a council planning process several years ago.
The mural, created by Plimmerton artist Heneriata Te Whata, was recently installed in Ferry Place and blessed today by Ngāti Toa kaumātua Dr Te Taku Parai.
The project began when a group of rainbow rangatahi from Aotea College asked Porirua City Council for a mural celebrating their community.
Last year, students from Rainbow Aotea worked with council officers on the process and design brief. Artists were then invited to submit ideas through an expressions of interest process.
The students shortlisted two concepts before choosing the final mural design.
Te Whata said she included the hihi, or stitchbird, because of the way the sun catches the light on its golden wings.
She said the image symbolised lighting a path forward, something she felt diverse communities did for everyone.
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said it was pleasing to see a request from young residents, made through the Long-term Plan process, become reality.
“This has been a great collaboration between the council and rangatahi and we’re proud to have the mural now complete and adding rainbow colours to our city,” Baker said.
