Te Arawa

Despite being disconnected from Te Ao Māori in her upbringing, Sophia Soljak was fortunate to have mahi raranga in her home thanks to her Māmā. By learning under her mother’s skilled hands, Sophia developed a real passion for toi Māori. She continued to explore and express her creativity through multiple mediums such as clay, raranga and painting. During her time at Te Herenga Waka, she has been able to reconnect with her taha Māori and further cultivate her skills with the core desire to preserve and transmit this Mātauranga to the next generation.