Pōhutukawa StoryTile
The crimson bloom of the pōhutukawa holds relationships across sky, land, sea, and wind. A symbol of resilience and remembrance, it speaks to cycles of life and cosmic connection.
All our StoryTiles can be rotated to reveal not only a new design, but a new story encoded within it. This unique feature allows a single design to hold multiple narratives, offering both variety and depth. Below, you’ll discover how the spinning design works, the stories behind each orientation, and the richness of our colour palette.
Pōhutukawa ki
Pīngao
The pōhutukawa(1) stands alongside the sacred pīngao(2), which grows at the edge of the beach line. Pīngao is a plant used to harvest the sacred yellow gold of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, local indigenous tribe of Auckland, New Zealand. Pīngao is a thread material that can be used to weave a garment like a korowai, a chiefly cloak that not only provides warmth but also reminds us of resilience, unity, and balance.
Pōhutukawa ki
Hauraki
The Pōhutukawa listens when Hauraki, the north wind, arrives — carrying whispers from the upper reaches of the land, of coastlines, harbours, and distant tides. As the north is viewed as the tail of the legendary fish that is New Zealand, the direction of the art is facing backward(1).
As Hauraki moves through Tāmaki, it shapes both whenua and moana, brushing crimson blossoms and salt air into a single breath. In their meeting, tree and wind become messengers together, anchoring this place as sacred, storied, and always in conversation with the wider world.
Pōhutukawa ki
Hautiu
The Pōhutukawa feels Hautiu before it is heard... a wandering wind, a breath that sways, circles, and lingers, carrying messages that ask us to pause and pay attention. When Hautiu moves through its branches, the blossoms tighten and the leaves listen, as if the tree knows that caution is also a form of wisdom. In their quiet exchange, foreboding becomes guidance, and the wind teaches the tree - and us - to read the signs before the world speaks them aloud.
Hautiu carries a message onward hence the direction of the tile is facing the forward(1).
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Collection
Our collection of StoryTiles can be purchased by clicking and ordering any of the following.
