MONNI Rāpoi

This painting has been created using sustainably foraged Native New Zealand plant matter.

Rāpoi means to hang together in a cluster, assemble, gather together.

To forage sustainably means to find flowers, leaves, bark and wood that have naturally fallen.

New Zealand born Māori/Dutch artist Monique Jansen loves to venture out into the native bush that surrounds her home, especially after storms, "nature is constantly leaving gifts for you, all you have to do is seek and you will find".

Monique's store Tea & Tonic, which supports New Zealand owned businesses producing sustainably made health & beauty products, her label MONNI that uses designer fabric ends made from natural fibres and her creative art projects like this collection of New Zealand Native plant paintings come all from a the same place, "what does embodied self-love or love really look like in action starting with self, others and the world around us?".