The inaugural Earth Guardians concept design competition for New Zealand high school students saw an artwork inspired by Polynesian legends among the winning entries.
Photo: Massey University
Massey University's College of Creative Arts and Weta Workshops announced the winners of the competition this week, with more than 300 students involved throughout nine categories.
The Massey University Moana Oceania Narratives Award was won by Filoi Ikitau of Spotswood College in New Plymouth for her Earth Guardian Princess Loi.
The competition challenged students to create a character to defend the earth using nature and the elements to inspire their designs. It asked them to supply details about where the character lived, its special powers and links to specific places, myths, legends, customary Māori narratives and deities.
Filoi Ikitau's Earth Guardian Princess Loi was inspired by the Samoan legend Sina and the eel and the American animated series Avatar the Last Airbender.
Filoi described the Samoan tale of Sina ma le Tuna as a "love story between an eel and a beautiful girl name Sina."
Princess Loi was inspired by the Samoan legend Sina and the eel and the American animated series Avatar the Last Airbender. Photo: Supplied / Massey University
"Its says when Sina drinks from the coconut its like kissing the eel, so I wanted to incorporate that idea with my character," she said.
The guardian was named after Filoi's nickname of Loi.
"Loi in Samoan means ants, so I thought it would be a cute name. Princess Loi is a goddess that protects Samoa from any harm or danger," she explained.
Filoi said the princess was an orphan who lived in a village called Salelologa and had control of the four elements as well as special healing powers.
"Her parents were killed in a fire that happened when she was young, and is where she got her scar from. Unfortunately, Loi blames her powers for the cause of her parents' death.
"The eel is Loi's only true friend and with the eel's help to master her powers, she aspires to be as good as her father."
Sonya Withers is a lecturer at the College of Creative Arts, Wellington School of Design Photo: Supplied / Massey University
"Filoi's ability to imagine Pacific peoples and their cultural references through character design envisions an inclusive place for Pacific peoples in the entertainment industry," Withers said.
"This student demonstrated fa'a Sāmoan values surrounding tautua (to serve) and adorned their character with a tuiga, a head piece reserved for folks of high rank."
Filoi won a $NZ500 prize pack, including flights to Wellington for a Weta Workshop experience.
The competition kicked off during the alert level 4 lockdown to celebrate the launch of the University's new Concept Design major. It sought entries for two categories - one for senior students aged 15 to 19, and another for junior students aged 12 to 14.