January 15, 2013
Gisborne Māori art students collaborate for Wellington exhibition
From studying together to exhibiting together – four Gisborne-based artists are showing their contemporary interpretations of Maori art forms in a new exhibition taking place in Wellington next month.
Curated by one of the artists, Elizabeth Kerekere, Te Hā O Hineteiwaiwa also represents the work of Terangi Roimata Kutia-Tataurangi, Toni Saddlier and Christie Patumaka.
The four met as students at Toihoukura, in Gisborne while studying for their BA in Māori Visual Arts under mentor and master weaver Christina Hurihia Wirihana.
Kerekere, a specialist in public commissions, says each artist shares a common interest in issues facing Maori women and whanau. She explains the title of the show, Hineteiwaiwa, represents the principal goddess of child birth and Te Whare Pora – The House of Weaving.
“As the ‘Hā’ or breath, the artists acknowledge the rich cultural heritage from which we descend and which informs our contemporary practice,” she says.
The exhibition runs from 12-16 February 2013 at Thistle Hall in Wellington.
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