Description:

Te Aratini is a festival that launched with a 3-day symposium held at Expo 2020 Dubai and is the World Expo's first ever official Indigenous-led initiative, bringing together Indigenous and Tribal peoples from around the world.

Te Aratini needed a visual identity to reflect the Indigenous nature of their important kaupapa. It needed to be grounded in te ao Māori, while having a global feel. The brand mark needed to work alongside the existing Expo logo and branding, as well as stand-alone for future use.

Te Aratini means the multitude of pathways, so we drew inspiration from this when designing the visual identity.

Simple in its formation, the top of the tohu, meshed with converging points, creates an abstract ‘T’ and ‘A’, while drawing upon the notion of different pathways.

This tohu allows us to build an elaborate pattern system based on the shapes formed, using just a section of the tohu. This system represents an interconnected labyrinth of pathways, using positive and negative space, reminiscent of kōwhaiwhai. It also talks to the aesthetic of the environment, important to all Indigenous people globally.

This simplicity can be interpreted differently by other cultures, with many seeing forms similar to those from their own culture and geography, allowing other ideas to be imbued. However, merged with the meaning of Te Aratini, it is exact in what it is displaying. It also speaks to the relationships formed, and culture merging at a point on the pathway to prosperity, equity, aspiration and success.