hau.

"It's ok to be different. Why not try to be the best at it." -

About Me

Kia Ora and welcome. 

My name is Te Haunui Tuna. I was raised in Waimana, a small town out of Whakatane. I grew up admiring art and was always found with a pencil in hand drawing pictures and entering local art competitions. Later on, I started to experiment with painting, air brushing, tattooing, sculpting, using ink pens and digital programmes to create new art work. Im back in Whakatane, after graduating from Te Kuratini o Waikato with a Bachelor in Media Arts, focusing more on video and fine art. I am interested in art inspired by comic books, movies and gaming. My main passion is my Maori heritage; whether it's depicting Atua Maori (Maori Gods), myths and legends, creating personifications inspired from stories or etching whakapapa (genealogy) and life journeys onto people. In the future I wish to create movies and games inspired by Maori history and publish books of my Atua Maori illustrations. 

Photo courtesy of John Morin