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March 31, 2026
#art: Wayfinding Exhibition Explores Navigation, Identity and Whakapapa in Hastings
Matthew Tukaki
Posted On March 31, 2026
Download AudioA new exhibition at Te Whare Toi o Heretaunga Hastings Art Gallery is bringing together themes of navigation, migration and identity, as artist Ruebena Paraha presents her first solo public show, Wayfinding.
The exhibition draws on toi Māori, geometric forms and ancestral knowledge to explore journeys across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, offering visitors an immersive experience grounded in whakapapa and the legacy of Pacific voyaging.
Through a series of paintings, Paraha invites audiences to reflect on the ways people navigate not only physical landscapes, but also cultural identity and personal journeys. The works combine contemporary expression with traditional influences, creating a visual language that speaks to both past and present.
Paraha’s path to painting has been shaped by travel and time spent living overseas, with her return to Aotearoa marking a reconnection with her Māoritanga. That reconnection has become central to her work, informing both the themes she explores and the methods she uses to express them.
Navigation and migration are recurring motifs throughout the exhibition, reflecting both ancestral journeys across the Pacific and modern experiences of movement and belonging. These ideas are expressed through layered patterns and symbolic forms that reference star paths, ocean currents and the interconnectedness of people and place.
Wayfinding represents a significant milestone for Paraha, marking her first solo exhibition in a public gallery. The opportunity highlights a growing recognition of emerging Māori artists and the importance of providing platforms for their stories to be shared.
The exhibition also speaks to the broader role of art in preserving and evolving cultural knowledge, offering a space where traditional narratives can be explored through contemporary practice.
As visitors move through the gallery, the exhibition encourages reflection on identity, connection and the enduring influence of ancestral knowledge in shaping how people understand themselves and their place in the world.
Wayfinding is now open at Te Whare Toi o Heretaunga Hastings Art Gallery in Hawke’s Bay.
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