Sending a clear message

SENIOR WINNER: Cal Ma Judged by Michel Tuffery The poster sends a very clear message, straight to the point, with all the main visual elements incorporated into the composition. Great use of the fonts, which pushes you around the poster graphic, excellent synergy to message.

JUNIOR WINNER: Beau Makiiti–Watts Judged by Nicola Jackson The winning poster has a lot going for it. To start with it's striking. The execution is original, the ideas are original in that they lead the viewer to think about what the message might be by the clever use of imagery which leads to the intended message. The style is distinctive. It is easy to read without falling into the temptation of tried and true cliches.

The life and death of the climate is now in our hands. That was the stark takeaway for Great Kiwi Poster Competition judge Fifi Colston from 14-year-old Maevi Fleming’s winning entry.

Colston, a Wellington-based artist and illustrator, judged the intermediate section of this year’s competition — organised by Dunedin artist and advocate Bruce Mahalski — which carried an environmental theme.

Confronted by Fleming’s poster, Colston was struck by it’s powerful depiction of the choices society now faces.

Beyond that, she was taken by its artistry.

INTERMEDIATE WINNER: Maevi Fleming Judged by Fifi Colston Maevi looked at whakapapa, and how handing the mantel of guardianship onto future generations is the way forward, caring for the planet. A tui and a piwakawaka fly above the people. Tui are said to be messengers of the gods and symbolise life, confidence and harmony. The piwakawaka is symbolic of death in the world and we can think of that as it relates to the planet.

POPULAR VOTE WINNER: Ada Zamorkina This poster has a magical quality, the way the light catches on the plastic objects is intriguing. The message is clear, we read the words and understand them, we then look more closely at the image and understand it in the context. We then feel a collective sense of acknowledgement that yes, we really do need to do better. The execution is original and this poster has a powerful point of difference to many of the entries.

And indeed Fleming’s poster, along with other section winners, is now going up around New Zealand’s streets, courtesy of competition partner Phantom Billstickers.

They’re also now on show at Otago Museum.

Roncalli College, Timaru pupil Fleming is no less clear about the predicament facing her generation.

‘‘I’ve got Papatuanuku handing the crying Earth over to the children. The Earth is broken and there’s rubbish down the bottom, because that’s like the generation now handing it on to the younger generations and my generation. We are going to have to care for this Earth.’’

Things need to change now, she says, as heating and pollution of the planet impacts people and animals alike.