Marley Moana Ngatai

Mount Lawley Senior High School

Year 11

Acrylic on Board

30 x 42 cm

When I first started this painting, I honestly hated the idea. I had no motivation to pursue it and almost gave up completely. I was stuck. But I knew one thing: I wanted to use the mahimahi as inspiration. It’s such a beautiful fish, with shimmering greens, yellows, and blue freckles that really stood out to me. My artwork, Mahi in Kura, is inspired by the mahimahi and places it within the context of my school uniform. The title is a play on words — mahi means “work” in Māori, but also refers to the mahimahi fish (also known as dolphin fish), while kura means “school.” So the name literally reflects the painting: a fish in school.