DINA MCLEOD

Dina McLeod
Photographer: Jos Wheeler

Dina raua ko Rouati.

Marino with the kāhui taiohi and the graff mural they completed for their exhibition opening at Hihiaua in Whangarei.

TAIOHI 2021

Ko Onekainga te maunga
Ko Wairahi te awa
Ko Māhuhu-ki-te-rangi me
Ngātokimatawhaorua ngā waka
Ko Whakapaumahara te marae
Ko Ngāti Rehua te hapū
Ko Ngāti Wai me Ngāti Hine ngā iwi
Ko Dina Tiare McLeod tōku ingoa.

Dina is a visual artist who mostly uses acrylics in her painting but she’s also an illustrator and she uses tools such as Pro Create and Adobe to help in her creativity.

Dina is really keen to experiment in future with materials such as raranga, tāniko and whakairo.

Part of Dina’s desire to be an established artist is her wish to use her skills to give back to her iwi and her larger community. By doing this, she wants to inspire rangatahi and young Māori artists who are finding their way.

Dina is currently the Junior Design intern at Ākau Studio in Kaikohe.

Dina sees sharing knowledge of toi as important and points to ringatoi such as Robyn Kahukiwa, Nikau Hindin plus local ringatoi such as Dorothy Waetford as inspirational.

Dina would love to see Te Taitokerau people be able to make a career out of art and also see art be woven into the fabric of society in the North so that it inspires everyone.

Dina was one of our successful Creative New Zealand Writing Internship recipients. She interviewed and wrote two articles for our newsletter Ngā Pū Kōrero focusing on ringatoi Rouati Evans and Marino Duke, you can read more about her experience here:

Ko Dina McLeod ahau, nō Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Hine me Taranaki ahau. 

I have always enjoyed writing alongside mahi toi. I love that you can express yourself through writing as it is an art form. I wanted the opportunity to be able to interview ringatoi from Te Taitokerau because through this you can give them a platform and learn things about them you wouldn’t otherwise. We have so many talented ringatoi within Te Taitokerau and it’s a privilege to be able to interview some of them and have them open up to us about themselves and their respective art forms. 

Interviewing Rouati Evans from Whirinaki was one of my biggest highlights; being in the company of Rouati who is a master weaver and going to her whare in Oue to learn about her pā harakeke. Tino hīkaka au mō te pūrongo e haere ake nei! My other highlight was Marino sharing with me the vision he has for his hapū and whānau to have toi Māori accessible for them, and his plans to have mahi toi spaces out on the whenua. It’s really inspiring to be around people like this and makes you see what things can be achieved by developing your craft. My biggest obstacle would probably have been juggling the writing internship with mahi and other commitments, however I felt well supported by Raewyn, B, Amelia and whaea Bexx.