A new Puanga and Matariki exhibition in Taupō is putting the life force of water at the centre of Māori art, whakapapa and identity.
Maiea /// To Surface, presented by Toi Tūwharetoa at Taupō Museum, opens on June 20 and runs until August 3.
The exhibition brings together works by Vanessa Edwards-Buerger, Ria Te Uira Paki, Margaret Aull, Natalie Couch, Tautahanga Rameka, Reti Hedley, Tyronne Te Waa, Piata Winitana-Murray, Temaari Ngawati, Kahumako Rameka and Delilah Southon.
The kaupapa centres on maiea, meaning to rise, awaken or come to the surface.
Developed alongside the 100-year anniversary of the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board, the exhibition honours the enduring relationship between Ngāti Tūwharetoa, wai and moana.
Organisers say the exhibition views water not simply as a resource, but as a living presence connected to identity, whakapapa and mauri.
Through a range of visual art forms, Maiea /// To Surface invites audiences to reflect on the role of wai in sustaining people, whenua and culture, while marking Matariki as a time of remembrance, renewal and reconnection.
The exhibition will be open daily at Taupō Museum from 10am to 4.30pm, with entry free for tangata whenua and locals.
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