Creative Response: Hana Buchanan
- Sam Trubridge
- Feb 27
- 1 min read
Hana Buchanan (Ngāti Haumia ki Te Aro, Taranaki iwi, Te Atiawa, Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika) is a tangata toikupu - poet, kaikaranga, kaitito waiata - living and writing from her ancestral lands in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Her toikupu-poetry collection Kupu Whenua comes into te ao marama soon through publication with Steele Roberts, 29 March 2026.
he kanikani rangi – dancing in the skies
in the first hour of the performance arcade 2026
a karakia rises from the stage —
each kupu encapsulated in its own air pocket and
carried across the takiwā of Te Aro —
a balme for those who receive
in the first hour of the performance arcade 2026
a gathering energy, a culmination, a coming together,
an anticipation —
hā ki roto nei…. kuku te manawa
breathe in…. hold, hold, hold
te tangi a kōauau
te kōrero a kōhatu
te tātākī a pīwakawaka mā
te reo tawhito, nō te kōpū i ahu mai
in the first hour of the performance arcade 2026
we are blessed by taonga pūoro —
hā ki waho —
we exhale…. long, slow and deep
in the first hour of the performance arcade 2026
a shark-formed-in-cloud floats above us
a magenta light illuminates the pōhutukawa
a single leaf settles amongst blades of grass in motion
seagulls glide and soar
our Tamatea moon glows—
expect the unexpected
PA2026 —
he nohoanga whenua
he haerenga moana
he kanikani rangi
rooted in this land
travelling the oceans
dancing in the skies
nā Hana Buchanan i tito (25-27 Huitanguru 2026) composed by Hana Buchanan for the Performance Arcade 2026
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This interplay reminds me of the experience of playing tiny fishing: everything requires a pause, a moment of relaxation, and patience. Like casting a fishing line into deep water to await the unexpected, the poem releases each lyric (kupu) into the space, silent yet full of emotion. Sometimes, amidst the hustle and bustle of life, all we need is a deep breath—and a moment to let ourselves be carried away by that gentle rhythm.
A really interesting topic from slope run
Beautifully evocative. The imagery and rhythm create such a strong sense of place, connection, and presence. Thank you for sharing this.
granny 1
Creative responses that come from a deeply personal place always resonate more than technically perfect work because the rawness is what makes the audience feel something real. Hana Buchanan clearly approaches her craft with an honesty that strips away pretension and lets the work speak on its own terms. Shared her piece with a storyteller at a children's book writing service usa we collaborate with and even across completely different creative fields the emotional directness in Hana's work sparked a conversation about how overthinking kills authenticity in any medium. The best creative responses are the ones that trust the instinct before the edit.