On Wednesday morning, the story of a recycled plastic tēpu (table) made it to national TV.

WATCH FULL INTERVIEW

Live on Breakfast, artists Graham Tipene and Amy Hawke shared what 'Maruata Rikoriko' is really about.

It’s not just a sculpture or a table but a place for people pause.

To sit with a stranger.

To share kai.

To reconnect during Matariki — a time to reflect, let go, and reset.

Amy spoke about her kaupapa:

It started simple.

Bring people together.

And let the environment guide the experience — open to the elements, open to each other.

Graham shared why the surface isn’t the point.

Design needs depth.

Without it, it’s empty.

Every element carries mātauranga — the pou, the form, even the material.

Ka rawe.

Critical. Cleanstone came in to support and enrich these beautiful moments of storytelling.

The tēpu and pou were made using our 'Forest' Cleanstone panels — 100% recycled plastics, including soft packaging and ocean waste.

It was the only material that 'made sense.'

As Amy said, it spoke directly to the responsibility of kaitiakitanga — to turn waste into something meaningful.

No gloss.

No flash.

Just form, function, and purpose.

Ngā mihi ki a koutou katoa to Amy, Graham, Te Ara Hihiko founders matua Jacob Scott and Jason Kendrick, Viaduct Harbour , Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Campbell & Co, TVNZ, Breakfast on 1 and everyone involved in this kaupapa.

If you’re working on a kaupapa-led public projects, and you want materials that can celebrate that story — I'd love to talk. Send me a DM or visit criticaldesign.nz

Manawatia a Matariki e te whānau

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