A Matariki paint-by-numbers powered by community

23 Jul 2025

When you mix 9,300 tiny squares with 50 Resene testpots the result is a pretty incredible celebration of the Māori New Year! Held over the Matariki long weekend at Kai Tahi, a creative and cultural hub on the Porirua waterfront, this community paint-by-numbers mural turned into something truly wonderful.

The event was organised by The Woolstore who manage the venue and invited locals to drop in, pick up a paintbrush and help bring this large-scale mural to life, one tiny square at a time.

“The event went really well, it was incredibly busy and we had lots of positive feedback,” says Lucy from The Woolstore.

Members of the community got together to complete this Matariki paint-by-numbers using an array of Resene testpots including colours like Resene Time Out, Resene Norwester, Resene Optimist and Resene Pine Glade.

Using testpot colours from the Resene Multi-finish range, the image slowly emerged over 12 hours of collaborative painting. The final artwork, now proudly displayed in the Kai Tahi dining hall, reveals the striking Kāpiti coastline viewed from the iconic Escarpment Track looking out towards Kapiti Island.

A true team effort by the community over the long weekend to reveal the paint-by-numbers mural using Resene testpots.

“Our vision is to transform the traditional idea of a food court into a cultural and creative hub,” says Lucy.

Matariki provided the perfect moment to bring that vision to life, with the mural acting as both a literal and symbolic representation of unity. Each brushstroke is a reminder of what can be achieved when a community paints together.

It took 50 colours, 9,300 squares and 12 hours, but in the end it was one community that made it magic.

Visit the mural and learn more:

20 Parumoana St, Porirua

www.kaitahi.co.nz

Published: 23 Jul 2025