August 21, 2020
The Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award to inspire a new generation of Maori artists
Media Release: Friday 21 August 2020
The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata together with The Office of the Kiingitanga has launched the Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award to inspire emerging Māori artists to create portraits of their tūpuna (ancestors).
Announced today in honour of Kiingi Tuheitia, the Award provides artists with an opportunity to showcase their talent on a national stage while competing for a First Prize of $20,000. The Runner-Up and People's Choice Award provide $2,500 respectively.
Kiingi Tuheitia, the seventh Māori monarch said "Today I am honoured and humbled to officially launch the Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award for emerging Maaori artists. This competition and award is about celebrating emerging Maaori artists and giving them a chance to shine. ‘Taaparatia te maahina, he puurangi, he maaneanea.’ You can find more information about this online. I wish to thank the Te Puukenga Whakaata, their Board and staff for working with us to bring this initiative to life. Kua takoto te maanuka, kia kaha koutou!"
Director of the New Zealand Portrait Gallery, Jaenine Parkinson, says the Award will play an important part in encouraging and profiling Māori artists working in a wide range of visual media who are in the early stages of their career.
"The Award also creates a platform for showcasing and celebrating tūpuna and their stories and this Award aims to uplift the mana of those artists who create these taonga and the important mahi they do." said Parkinson.
The inaugural award will be held in 2021 with an exhibition of finalist artworks in Te Whanganui-a-Tara at The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata, timed to coincide with Matariki. Finalist artworks will then tour the country.
The finalist artworks will be judged by a distinguished panel composing of renowned artists at the opening of the exhibition. These include tā moko and whakairo artist, kapa haka performer, composer, graphic designer, researcher and teacher, Professor Sir Derek Te Ahi Lardelli; celebrated artist, teacher and activist, Kura Te Waru Rewiri and artist Lisa Reihana, who is known around the world for her portraits and digital art. Entries are open to emerging Māori artists who have created an artwork within the last two years, using any visual medium, depicting their tūpuna.
“Because this award does not limit artists to a specific medium we are excited to see the creative innovations emerging Māori artists will bring to articulating their whakapapa (geneology)” said Parkinson.
Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington is looking forward to hosting the inaugural Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award in 2021. We are invested in growing our Matariki programme and this project will contribute significant mana and bring the creative talents of emerging Maaori artists to New Zealand’s capital city to tell the stories of their ancestors,” said Wellington Mayor, Andy Foster.
Kura Moreahu, Chair of Te Runanganui o Te Atiawa and Waiwhetu Marae said “We fully support the Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award announcement. Both the Runanga and Waiwhetu Marae have a long association with both the Kiingitanga and Te Arikinui Kiingi Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero Tuawhitu.”
An information pack on how to enter is available to download from nzportraitgallery.org.nz/kiingituheitiaaward.
Entries open 5 October 2020 and close on 5 March 2021 and the winners will be announced at the exhibition opening on 26 May 2021.
ENDS
For enquiries, images, a copy of Kiingi Tuheitia’s speech and interviews contact Rebecca Reed on 021 205 7718 or rebecca@arribapr.co.nz.
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#TaparatiaTeMahina = "let your light shine"
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