A connection through art
11 minutes ago
2 min read
As part of last week’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori celebration, one of our kiritaki/clients Chevelle Aupouri shared a special story about a friendship that began here at The Hearing House.
Chevelle and fellow Hearing House kiritaki Len Byles are both cochlear implant users. They met at our Matariki celebration earlier this year, where kiritaki, whānau and members of our community came together to share kōrero, waiata and time with one another.
Chevelle and Len got talking and shared some of their experiences of their cochlear implant journeys. A connection was made and, sometime later, Chevelle visited Len at his studio, where she also met his wife, Pam.
Len is a wood artist who works with native timbers to create unique, handcrafted pieces. Following Chevelle’s visit, Len created a special piece of artwork for her, which has affectionately become known as the “Tree of Life”, reflecting themes of growth, connection and whānau.
There was another lovely connection to come. Chevelle had previously drawn her own picture of a tree and, when the two pieces were later compared, there was a striking similarity between her drawing and the artwork Len had created for her.
Len’s work will already be familiar to many people who visit The Hearing House. He also created MEGA, the large artwork displayed in our building, which reflects the cochlear implant journey and the people and relationships that are part of it.
Sharing the Tree of Life story as part of last week’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori celebration seemed particularly fitting. The day was about waiata, kōrero, learning and spending time together – but also about whakawhanaungatanga and the connections that grow through our community.
Chevelle and Len’s story is a lovely example of that: two cochlear implant users who met through The Hearing House, shared their experiences and formed a new friendship, with a very special piece of art becoming part of their story.
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