GLOWING START TO BELOVED ARTS FESTIVAL IN THE TOI CAPITAL OF AOTEAROA – TE TAIRĀWHITI

It was a warm and wonderful start to Te Tairawhiti Arts Festival 2021, which opened on Friday 8 October with the brilliance of the annual immersive light installation Te Ara i Whiti and a showcase of local musicians at the festival’s outdoor Te Pūtahi Hub, setting the city aglow.  Stopping in during a road trip to promote the COVID-19 vaccination programme to rural communities, Rt Hon. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was thankful for the opportunity to speak to festival supporters at an opening event in the Lawson Field Theatre.   The Prime Minister reinforced the importance of access to both healthcare and the arts – […]

Te Ara i Whiti Artist Feature – Tāwera

Tāwera Tahuri Ngā Ariki Kaipūtahi, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Uenuku, Tūwharetoa Tāwera Tahuri is a mixed media artist covering a wide range of mediums and techniques. Influenced by the work of artist’s such as Basquiat, Klee, Picasso, Kura Te Waru Rewiri and Emere Karaka, she has produced a prolific amount of work throughout her artistic career. She […]

Te Ara i Whiti Artist Feature – Ron

Ron TeKawa Ngāti Porou Maungarongo (Ron) TeKawa of Ngāti Porou has been working prolifically in fashion, art, community development and education across Aotearoa New Zealand for decades. Using sewing as a conduit to connect with people, his legendary workshops have given countless participants the confidence to create and express with fabric. Ron’s unique quilting style […]

Te Ara i Whiti Artist Feature – Steve

Steve Gibbs Ngāi Tāmanuhiri Steve Gibbs is a teacher and a practicing visual artist specialising in painting and the education of kōwhaiwhai. He is an associate professor at Toihoukura, School of Māori Visual Arts and Design in the Te Hono ki Toi – Master of Creative Practice postgraduate programme. Steve is currently wrapping up his […]

Te Ara i Whiti Artist Feature – Johnny

Johnny Moetara Rongowhakaata, Ngā Puhi Johnny Moetara is a practicing visual artist specialising in painting. He is also active in both Whakairo and Kapa Haka, allowing him to maintain a strong connection with Te Ao Māori through ancestral lands and the ocean. Johnny is also a Kaiako at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, at the Whirikoka […]

Te Ara i Whiti Artist Feature – Ariki

Taupuruariki (Ariki) Whakataka Brightwell Rongowhakaata, Te Ara Ariki Brightwell is a pop-culture indigenous artist, specializing in mural and digital works. She creates public works that represent the whakapapa and history of the land. As a 27th generation artist, like her father and those before him, her mission is to share their stories to the world […]

Te Ara i Whiti Artist Feature – James

James Tapsell-Kururangi Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Mākino, Tainui, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-a-Rākairoa James Tapsell-Kururangi is Assistant Curator for Te Tuhi. He runs Papatūnga in Tāmaki Makaurau. James graduated from Massey University with a Master of Fine Arts (First Class Honours) in 2019. He graduated with a Bachelor of Design (First […]

Te Ara i Whiti Artist Feature – Huia Edmonds & Ngaire Tuhua

Huia Edmonds & Ngaire Tuhua Ngāti Porou, Tūwharetoa, Ngapuhi, Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Whātua Huia is an emerging artist specialising in graphite and charcoal drawings. His most recent works include surrealist drawings of the human figure with bird heads of endemic New Zealand birds, namely, the wattle bird species. The aim of Huia’s artwork is to challenge […]

Te Ara i Whiti Artist Feature – George

George Watson Ngāti Mutunga, Moriori, Ngāti Porou George Watson is an artist and writer, graduating with a Masters in Fine Arts from Elam School of Fine Arts, and a Bachelor of Media Arts from Wintec Majoring in Painting and Sculpture. George works predominantly with sculpture and installation to create immersive exhibitions that explore ideas of […]

Te Ara i Whiti Artist Feature – Fiona

Fiona Collis Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāi Tūhoe Fiona stems from a line of traditional weavers that have grounded her practice as a contemporary weaver and artist. Raised in Tolaga Bay and having grown up close to her grandmother Mrs Madeleine Tangohau the interest for raranga was cultivated at an early age. Fiona […]