Maia Keane
Ngaī Tāmanuhiri, Rongowhakaata
Maia is a contemporary Māori artist born and raised in West Auckland, with iwi affiliations to Ngaī Tāmanuhiri and Rongowhakaata. Her mediums are acrylic paint, graphic design, and recently learning the traditional art of mahi raranga; but she refers to herself as a certified haututu. Maia uses her work to embrace the endless journey into her Māoritanga, in the process creating mod stylised figures derivative of manaia & poupou usually seen in whakairo.
Maia completed a Bachelor Degree in Māori Visual Arts in 2021, and was also a recipient for the Ngā Manu Pīrere award from Creative New Zealand in the same year.
She has displayed work in various galleries and public places such as; Hoea! Gallery, Tairāwhiti Museum, Sanderson Contemporary Gallery, Ihorei Gallery, Britomart, and the UN Headquarters in New York.
Te Ara i Whiti
WhareAtua, 2023
WhareAtua is Maia’s adaptation of her usual 2D paintings and designs, moving into 3D elements with printing of designs onto 5 abnormal bean or hue inspired shaped inflatables. The cage-like structure of the patterns used in WhareAtua is inspired by the basket fungi Ileodictyon cibarium which is native to Aotearoa. One of the kupu Māori for this basket fungus is WhareAtua, which is where Maia took inspiration to incorporate Manaia into the derivative structure of the basket fungus.
You can find “WhareAtua” at Te Ara i whiti from September 29 – October 8, 2023 at Kelvin and Marina Park.
