A powerful celebration of whakapapa, identity and artistic excellence is set to arrive in Taranaki, with a major national portrait exhibition showcasing the work of emerging Māori artists and their enduring connections to tūpuna.
The Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award exhibition will open at Puke Ariki Museum in New Plymouth in July, bringing together compelling works that explore ancestral stories through the medium of portraiture. The nationally recognised exhibition has become an important platform for young Māori artists to express their creativity while strengthening connections to whānau, history and culture.
The exhibition centres on the relationship between contemporary Māori artists and their tūpuna, encouraging artists to explore whakapapa through visual storytelling. The resulting portraits offer deeply personal reflections on identity, memory and intergenerational connection.
Puke Ariki has been preparing for the exhibition through a unique open studio initiative known as TUKU, where emerging artists have been creating works under the guidance of respected Taranaki artist and designer WharehokaSmith. The collaborative project has transformed part of the museum into a working creative space, allowing visitors to witness the artistic process firsthand.
The exhibition is expected to feature around 40 portraits of tūpuna, each carrying stories of resilience, leadership, whānau and cultural identity. Organisers say the exhibition is not only about celebrating artistic talent but also about reinforcing the importance of remembering those who came before and preserving their legacies for future generations.
For Māori communities, portraiture has become an increasingly important way of documenting whakapapa and expressing connections to people, places and histories. Through paint, photography and mixed media, artists are able to breathe new life into ancestral narratives while creating works that resonate with contemporary audiences.
The arrival of the exhibition is expected to attract visitors from across the country and further strengthen Puke Ariki’s reputation as a leading cultural institution dedicated to sharing the stories of Taranaki and Aotearoa. The museum is already home to significant collections of Māori taonga, regional history and contemporary exhibitions that celebrate the unique identity of the region.
Beyond the artworks themselves, organisers hope the exhibition will inspire deeper conversations about identity, belonging and the role of art in preserving cultural memory.
As the portraits take their place on the gallery walls, visitors will be invited to reflect on the lives, journeys and contributions of those who shaped the communities of today.
The exhibition serves as a reminder that while generations may pass, the stories of tūpuna continue to live on through whānau, culture and creative expression.
For many, it will be an opportunity not only to admire exceptional Māori art, but also to reconnect with the enduring strength of whakapapa and the importance of remembering those who paved the way.
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