The Best Design Awards are a major feature of the local design calendar and some of last year's winners have toured the country to offer first-hand insights into their projects.
The 2021 series was recorded on video. Here is one from the series of twenty recorded.
DINZ Interview
Best of the Best Designers Speak® - Video - Maria Lokshina
#Things I wish I knew
Maria Lokshina
AUT School of Art and Design
The self-confessed “girl who thought her cash prize for winning Gold at Toitanga was an attempt at stealing her bank account details,” spoke about her unique journey from Russia to winning a design award for a kit explaining Māori history, traditions and language to international students. She discussed her arrival to Te Ara Poutama’s international Marae programme and how it opened a living culture with “deep traditions and a lot of heart”.
Maria Lokshina
After this, she started to think of ways to give something back to the culture that welcomed her and to create a deeper sense of respect and understanding of Māoridom. During this process, she realised that her own ignorance was, in fact, what the project could be about: something to tackle the many protocol mistakes foreigners often make due to lack of cultural knowledge.
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