Untitled Mural

Title of artwork: Untitled 

Artist: Monti Masiu 

Date: 2024 

Category of work: Mural 

Media: Spray paint on plywood  

Where you can see it: Worcester Boulevard, near Quad Eatery  

Thanks to: Watch This Space, Flare Street Art Festival, Christchurch City Council 

Artist Monti Masiu draws on imagery from his Tongan heritage to create works that provide new contexts for traditional forms. The natural tones and repeated patterns of this work echo the ngatu (decorated bark-cloth) and tātatau (tattooing) that have been consistent throughout Masiu’s life, evoking memories of family homes, loved ones and ancestors. Combining these elements with the public nature and scale of his graffiti art background, Monti’s work becomes strikingly unmissable, enveloping the viewer.  

Monti Masiu is an Ōtautahi Christchurch-based artist. While his background in graffiti art continues to inform his work, his exploration of iconography drawn from his Tongan heritage has become a central element of his output, emerging in both traditional and contemporary forms. In 2023, Masiu was featured in SHIFT: Urban Art Takeover at Canterbury Museum. 

Follow Monti: www.instagram.com/monti_vali/ 

More information about street art in Ōtautahi Christchurch: Watch This Space.