I was approached in 2020 to create a series of Māori inspired products for Shot darts (formerly founded in 1970 as Puma) to mark their fifty year history as a New Zealand leader in the international market, and to honour Māori participation in the sport.

 

“Omaki” Make your mark 2020

The first piece commissioned was a Shot Inked Dart Wallet called “Omaki” which means to move swiftly, or fly and is part of a limited edition series of dart wallets that acknowledge tattoo traditions.

 

“Wear your heart on your sleeve and your tribe on your hip. Just like body art, each case in the Shot Darts Inked range is embossed with its own tattoo”, reads the Shot darts description. The heart for dart playing is reflected in the choice of red for the cases, a colour that holds the activation of power in Māori art traditions.

 

The main Māori pattern represents. "Nga Hau e wha" - the four winds, a Māori saying that expresses the bringing together of people from the four corners of the world. The modern dart profile features through the middle which with the aid of the winds ensures the swift flight of the dart. Paama-Pengelly also references in this design the traditions of early dart making where flights were made using turkey feathers.

 

“Kaitiaki” Guardians 2021 The success of the case led to the commissioning of a dartboard surround, Kaitiaki which translates as guardians. The name takes its meaning from the purpose of the surround to protect the parameters external to the dart board and the darts, from damage.

 

Kaitiaki “expresses the spirit and comradeship of competition” says Paama-Pengelly “and the Māori concept kaitiakitanga which means guardianship or protection”. The design comprises four pairing of spirit guardians facing each other and the ethos of competition as they share a dart between them. Kaitiaki builds on the whakapapa of Omaki in the use of the key concepts and designs; the colour red, the turkey feather, and the four arrangements of guardian pairs where "Nga Hau e wha" - the four winds symbolise a meeting place for those from near and far to connect through the comradeship of darts.

 

“Kaitiakitanga” 2021 The third commissioned piece builds further on the concepts of both Kaitiaki and Omaki, featuring a player's cloth that, albeit a humble item, constitutes one of the most personal essential player items.

 

Based on the circular nature of the dart board, Māori design elements are balanced around a central globe of key symbols and ideas embodying the collective spirit of dart playing. “Ko te mutunga oranga, he timatanga kaha” reminds players that winning starts with beginning!

 

For me the partnership with Shot darts was an important opportunity to present context for Māori as players, to see themselves represented and their identity in the sport valued. I particularly enjoyed the challenge of designing for a context that I hadn’t prior conceived, and the thrill of contributing to Maori identity in this space.