Melanie Tangaere Baldwin
Ngāti Porou, Rongomaiwahine
Melanie Tangaere Baldwin is a Ngāti Porou artist and curator based in Turanga Nui a Kiwa, Gisborne. Her work is research-based and largely focused on Te Ao Māori, Mana Wahine, stereotyping of indigenous peoples and the effects of settler colonialism on notions of power, beauty and worth. Melanie is a multi-disciplinary artist whose previous works have included painting, sculpture, digital manipulation, photography, embroidery and video.
She is a former lecturer in Te Toi o Ngā Rangi – Bachelor of Māori Visual Art and Te Hono ki Toi – Master of Professional Creative Practice at Toihoukura, School of Māori Visual Art and Design. She is one of the founders and current Creative Director of HOEA! Gallery in Gisborne. She is the Manatu Taonga Cultural Activator for Te Tairawhiti, and the current curator of Te Ara I Whiti for Te Tairawhiti Arts Festival.
Te Ara i Whiti
Alongside curating Te Ara i Whiti, Melanie presents her work “Cutie/Kiuti/QT”. Describing her intention behind “Cutie/Kiuti/QT”, Melanie says:
“Cutie/Kiuti/QT was made in celebration of my cousin Quinn.
For my Uncle Rewi and Aunty Liz.
She is the sixth of seven hilarious and beautiful sisters and has been raised by our nannys and papas up in the stars for nearly all of her 25 years.
We love and remember and wonder about you. We talk about you to your nieces and nephews. I would have called you QT.
I want this work to provide space for all of us to sit with and honour and love all our babies waiting for us up there xo”
You can find “Cutie/Kiuti/QT” at Te Ara i Whiti from July 9 – 17, 2022 at Kelvin and Marina Park.
