Ella Neal

Ko Te Tiriti o Waitangi tōku kawenata.
Nō Ingarangi, Aerani, Kōtirana me Nōwei ōku tīpuna.
I tipu ake ahau i raro i te maru o Rangitoto ki te taha o te Waitematā ki te whenua o Ngāti Whatua Ōrākei.
Ko Ngatī Pākehā te iwi.
Ko Ella Neal tōku ingoa.

Kia ora, I’m Ella.

I’m a printmaker, photographer and all-round creative person.

I grew up under the shadow of Rangitoto, on the shores of the Waitematā harbour on Ngāti Whatua Ōrākei land. My ancestors are from England, Ireland, Scotland and Norway.

I am passionate about the intersection of art, community and our nation’s founding document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It is important because for myself as Pākehā, it is my place to stand in Aotearoa. In my pepeha, I claim Te Tiriti o Waitangi as my covenant, because as Sir Eddie Durrie said on Waitangi Day in 1989, “Te Tiriti o Waitangi is not just a bill of rights for Māori. It is a bill of rights for Pākehā too. It is Te Tiriti that gives Pākehā the right to be here.”

My hope is that my fellow Pākehā and I will realise our privilege, the way we have benefitted from colonisation to the detriment of Māori and work together towards a more equitable future. I am interested in how community art education can empower the next generation to achieve this goal.

I’m grateful for the continued support of the Pinnacle community, being part of a group of driven individuals pushing the boundaries of their respective fields is a great privilege. My confidence has grown immensely through my Pinnacle journey, thanks to experiences that allowed me to step outside my comfort zone. Thank you Pinnacle!