Background: The purpose drawn from this brief was to tell a colourful story in relation to the significance of a single colour in a particular culture. Frequently mistaken for the absence of colour, black is a pigment with a truly rich story in New Zealand’s native Māori culture. From their origin beliefs to preserving the pigment, the colour black is very much a part of Māori identity.

Aim: The aim of this project is to create a publication to preserve and weave stories from natives that are associated with black together. This once oral culture is further preserved in print for natives and outsiders alike to learn about the culture and keep it truly alive.

Solution: The solution includes using type in both ways of conventional and radical use to express stories told by natives relating to the colour. Methods like; fold-outs, transferring type and macrons i.e. diacritical marks, using type as different image compositions and thread binding all contribute to echoing the significance of the cultural use of black amongst the Māori people and in this publication’s content.