Nō Kurawaka Tātou 

George Atai French (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe, Waitaha), Mia Ata Marama Anderson (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whakaeke), George Brunton (Ngāti Maru, Whakatōhea), Ana Krakosky (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Rarua)

24 September - 2 October

All things, including art objects, carry whakapapa, a layered history detailing their existence and origins. This stems from Māori cosmology, where whakapapa first unfolded from Te Kore (nothing), through to Te Pō, (gestation and iteration), and finally to Te Ao Mārama (the world of light and physical form). This sequence precisely describes the process of artistic creation.

Māori trace their whakapapa back to Papatūānuku because Hineahuone, the first wahine, was formed from uku and red earth at Kurawaka. In forging Hineahuone, Tānemāhuta cemented the notion that the act of creation instills whakapapa. Objects forged by human hands therefore carry an imprint, connecting the creator's whakapapa to their creations. Māori art-making both extends whakapapa and asserts identity, irrespective of Māori language fluency. Thus, the exhibition title 'Nō Kurawaka Tātou' emerges – we are all from Kurawaka, and so by extension are the objects offered in this show.

In the lifetime of tohunga whakairo Pine Taiapa, there was well-founded concern that Te Reo Māori may not survive his generation. His friend and mentee, artist Sandy Adsett, notes that Taiapa was motivated to contribute to toi Māori as another way to preserve, assert and take pride in our whakapapa.

‘The art is important for us, because I worry that our language may go. But we’ll still have the language of art to identify us as a culture and to say the stories and tell the stories that we needed.’

STUDENT SERIES 2026

20 August - 14 October

Exhibition schedule

 Exhibition 1: De-Sir

Artists: Savanna Hunter, Chiquita Dean, Lucia Daamen- Shanahan

  • Opening: 20th August (5 pm - 7pm)

  • Artist Talk: 21st August (12pm - 1pm)

Exhibition 2: Consumption, Media, Womanhood

Artists: Vienna Rose Nunns, Neve Vangioni, Sophie Brown, Olivia Moore, Lourie Torr

  • Opening: 10th September (5pm - 7pm)

  • Artist Talk 11th September (12pm - 1pm)

Exhibition 3: No Kurawaka Tatou

Artists: George Atai French, Mia Ata Marama Anderson, George Brunton, Ana Krakosky

  • Opening: 24th September (5pm - 7 pm)

  • Artist Talk: 25th September (12pm - 1pm)

  

Exhibition 4: Super/Dairy,

Artists: Lucy Lallemant, Jack Freeman, Emma Foung

  • Opening: 8th October (5pm - 7pm)

  • Artist Talk: 9th October (12 - 1pm)