Artist Robyn Kahukiwa has passed

Internationally recognised New Zealand artist Robyn Kahukiwa has passed. Of Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare of Tolaga Bay and Ngāti Porou, and through marriage to Te Arawa, she was an award-winning children’s book writer and illustrator. She began painting while living in Greymouth. Since her first solo exhibition in 1971, Kahukiwa’s art has supported the reclamation of tino rangatiratanga for Māori. Her works are celebrated for their bold depictions of Māori figures, particularly women, and for incorporating traditional Māori symbolism in urban settings. Her art often addressed themes of ghettoisation, detribalisation, and disempowerment, reflecting her rediscovery of her Māori heritage and her activism. Her works have been exhibited extensively both in New Zealand and internationally and are held in private and public collections. She also wrote and illustrated children’s books, collaborating with notable writers like Patricia Grace.