Artwork: mural by millo, Hongi—the breath of life, New Zealand, 2019
Having been to New Zealand a couple of times, this resonates: Italian artist Millo has just completed a gorgeous new mural in Whangarei, NZ, titled Hongi—the breath of life. Millo said this about the mural:
“HONGI is the traditional Māori greeting in New Zealand. It is done by pressing one's nose and forehead (at the same time) to another person at an encounter.
During the hongi, the ‘ha’, or breath of life is exchanged and intermingled.
The breath of life is also considered the sharing of both parties' souls.
Through the exchange of this physical greeting, one is no longer considered ‘manuhiri’ visitor, but rather ‘tangata whenua’, one of the people of the land.”