Ngaire Tuhua
Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Whātua
Ko te Hoe o Tainui te pou ki mua
Ko Mangawara te pou ki tua
Ko Hapuakohe te pou ki uta
Ko Waitii te tatau o te whare
Uru tomo mai ki te papatipu o te urutapu,
ki te papatipu o te uruora!
Specialising in high-quality contemporary Māori art and design inspired and influenced by whakapapa, Ngaire Tuhua is committed to contributing positively to the continuity of mātauranga Māori by making it accessible to the wider community through her work.
Ngaire realises the responsibility of nourishing whakapapa and dedicates herself to designing and creating exclusive high-quality contemporary Māori art. Her areas of specialty include drawing, painting and tā moko. Every mark she makes recites a combination of whakapapa, karakia, kōrero tuku iho and significant historical events that highlight the fundamental importance of core values and principles that contribute to the overall well-being of our whanau, hapu and iwi.
Te Ara i Whiti
Tapu Kōrako, 2023
Tapu Kōrako is a 6m wide, 2.5m tall golden aluminum steel 2D form of Tapu Kōrako – a personification of light and life.
The meaning of this work is best described in the following ruri…
I’ve waited many moons at Huaki Pouri to greet you,
Life and death as my companion.
I’ve called you from beyond the veil,
Aupounamu, timeless and true.
There, I see you staring back into the depth of my divine.
Rising from the abyss,
Te Rangihopukia signals your promise, an end to my slumber.
You are a thousand years of whakapapa,
with a thousand more running through your veins.
You are life, you are light,
You are love, you are strength.
I am you and you are me.
You can find “Tapu Kōrako” at Te Ara i whiti from September 29 – October 8, 2023 at Kelvin and Marina Park.
