Carving in Coral - Mara

The chimeras of Mara are fantastic female creatures which, although they could be part of the Homeric tradition, actually belong to Polynesian legends, where the mokorea are often mentioned. The mokorea lived in caves and never cut their nails. Mara depicts them as dreamers. Sometimes their arms are carved, sometimes the natural shape of the wood serves as an arm. Often, Mara's chimeras have no limbs at all, just a face extended by a ghostly trunk.

Her coral vahines always display harmonious features, generous forms and a calm air, while her wooden chimeras are the product of a more tormented art, carried away beyond all measure. These chimeras have angular features, broken forms, a skeleton rather than a body. They belong to a floating, suspended world of possibilities, spirits whispering in the ears of kings, heroes and thieves. Inhabitants of fantastic mists, they embody the wind, the swell and the thorny bush of reefs. They are the fruit of a man's inner contemplation before he turns his gaze outward. A man driven by a compelling need to bring order to chaos.

Although these chimeras often resemble aquatic creatures, they can also take on the appearance of female birds. Mara produced a large number of them. The spiritual significance of these chimeras is profound, but only partially perceptible. We have to rely on our intuition to grasp a vague idea. These masks are nothing but vibrations and sensations. The Polynesian Mara appreciated picturesque accidents. During the long hours he spent roughing up the material, he would see floating landscapes taking shape in his mind, which he then imprinted on his creations.