MARGARET AULL
Te Rarawa, Tūwharetoa, Fijian
HIRIA ANDERSON-MITA
Rereahu, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Apakura
AIMEE RATANA
Ngāi Tūhoe, Tamakaimoana, Ngāti Raka, Ngāti Haka
Patuheuheu
NATALIE ROBERTSON
Ngāti Porou, Clann Dhònnchaidh
MARAEA TIMUTIMU
Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngaiterangi, Ngati Ranginui
NEPHI TUPAEA
Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Tiipa, Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Ngāti Kahungunu
RAUKURA TUREI
Ngaitai ki Tamaki, Ngā Rauru ki Tahi
Our opening exhibition for 2023 brings together a group of seven Wāhine Māori artists whose work addresses the layers of meaning encompassed by the concept of whenua.
For Māori, the land (whenua) is the personification of Papatūānuku (Earth mother).
There is a direct connection between Papatūānuku and the nourishment she provides to her people: a physical and spiritual relationship that is integral to Māori wellbeing and survival.
All life is understood as having been born from the womb of Papatūānuku under the sea, and the lands and islands that appear above water are seen as placenta/s from her womb.
This is the reason ‘whenua’ in te reo Māori translates as ‘placenta’ in te reo Pākeha, and it is also the reason that ‘whenua ki te whenua’ describes the practice of returning the afterbirth of new-born babies to their ancestral lands.
Ko au te whenua, ko te whenua, ko au
I am the land and the land is me
“Whenua / Whenua” will be formally opened by Kahutoi Te Kanawa, Pou Ārahi Curator Māori at Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira.
We hope you can join us.
WHENUA / WHENUA
2023
installation view
HIRIA ANDERSON-MITA & MARGARET AULL
Ngā Mihi (In collaboration with Margaret Aull)
2020
oil and acrylic on board
600mm Dia
630mm Dia (frame)
MARGARET AULL
Lockdown
2020
totara, enamel
350mm H x 250mm W x 110mm D
PRIVATE COLLECTION
WHENUA / WHENUA
2023
installation view
NATALIE ROBERTSON
He kaakano i ruia mai i ngaahere — I am a seed sown from the forest
2022
C-type photograph (diptych)
1030mm H x 780mm W (frame/each)
Ed: 5 + 2 AP
NATALIE ROBERTSON
He kaakano i ruia mai i ngaahere — I am a seed sown from the forest (detail)
2022
C-type photograph (diptych)
1030mm H x 780mm W (frame/each)
Ed: 5 + 2 AP
NATALIE ROBERTSON
He kaakano i ruia mai i ngaahere — I am a seed sown from the forest (detail)
2022
C-type photograph (diptych)
1030mm H x 780mm W (frame/each)
Ed: 5 + 2 AP
RAUKURA TUREI
Paekitawhiti
2022
onepū (black manganite sand from Paruroa, Cornwallis), oil, plywood
465mm H x 1065mm W (frame)
PRIVATE COLLECTION
RAUKURA TUREI
Paekitawhiti
2022
onepū (black manganite sand from Paruroa, Cornwallis), oil, plywood
465mm H x 1065mm W (frame)
PRIVATE COLLECTION
RAUKURA TUREI
Paekitawhiti (detail)
2022
onepū (black manganite sand from Paruroa, Cornwallis), oil, plywood
465mm H x 1065mm W (frame)
PRIVATE COLLECTION
RAUKURA TUREI
Paruroa dance
2022
onepū (black manganite sand from Paruroa, Cornwallis), oil, flashe, linen
810mm H x 710mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
RAUKURA TUREI
Paruroa dance
2022
onepū (black manganite sand from Paruroa, Cornwallis), oil, flashe, linen
810mm H x 710mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
RT-2023-02
Paruroa dance (detail)
2022
onepū (black manganite sand from Paruroa, Cornwallis), oil, flashe, linen
810mm H x 710mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
RAUKURA TUREI
Ngāi Tai E, ll
2022
onepū (black manganite sand from Paruroa, Cornwallis), aumoana (blue clay from Maraetai), polymer binder, flashe, linen
355mm H x 255mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
RAUKURA TUREI
Ngāi Tai E, ll
2022
onepū (black manganite sand from Paruroa, Cornwallis), aumoana (blue clay from Maraetai), polymer binder, flashe, linen
355mm H x 255mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
RAUKURA TUREI
Ngāi Tai E, ll (detail)
2022
onepū (black manganite sand from Paruroa, Cornwallis), aumoana (blue clay from Maraetai), polymer binder, flashe, linen
355mm H x 255mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
WHENUA / WHENUA
2023
installation view
WHENUA / WHENUA
2023
installation view
NEPHI TUPAEA
Nga horoi ki te whakapono
2023
acrylic on canvas
915mm H x 1220mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
NEPHI TUPAEA
Nga horoi ki te whakapono (detail)
2023
acrylic on canvas
915mm H x 1220mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
NEPHI TUPAEA
Nga horoi ki te whakapono (detail)
2023
acrylic on canvas
915mm H x 1220mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
NEPHI TUPAEA
I lay down with kaitiaki
2022
acrylic on canvas
915mm H x 1220mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
NEPHI TUPAEA
I lay down with kaitiaki (detail)
2022
acrylic on canvas
915mm H x 1220mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
NEPHI TUPAEA
WHENUA / WHENUA
2023
installation view
NEPHI TUPAEA
Whakarongo ki te tangi (detail)
2022
acrylic on canvas
915mm H x 1220mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
NEPHI TUPAEA
Whakarongo ki te tangi
2022
acrylic on canvas
915mm H x 1220mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
WHENUA / WHENUA
2023
installation view
NEPHI TUPAEA
Whakarongo ki te tangi (detail)
2022
acrylic on canvas
915mm H x 1220mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
WHENUA / WHENUA
2023
installation view
WHENUA / WHENUA
2023
installation view
MARAEA TIMUTIMU
WHENUA / WHENUA
2023
installation view
MARAEA TIMUTIMU
Ono
2022
archival photograph on Fuji paper
790mm H x 590mm W (frame)
Ed: 3 + 1AP
MARAEA TIMUTIMU
Waru
2022
archival photograph on Fuji paper
790mm H x 590mm W (frame)
Ed: 3 + 1AP
WHENUA / WHENUA
2023
installation view
Hiria Anderson-Mita
WHENUA / WHENUA
2023
installation view
Hiria Anderson-Mita
Mōkau Kohunui III
2023
oil on canvas
300mm H x 300mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
Hiria Anderson-Mita
Mōkau Kohunui II
2023
oil on canvas
300mm H x 300mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
Hiria Anderson-Mita
Mōkau Kohunui I
2023
oil on canvas
300mm H x 300mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
AIMEE RATANA
WHENUA / WHENUA
2023
installation view
AIMEE RATANA
WHENUA / WHENUA
2023
installation view
AIMEE RATANA
WHENUA / WHENUA
2023
installation view
AIMEE RATANA
māia
2022
acrylic, plywood
300mm H x 200mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
AIMEE RATANA
māia (detail)
2022
acrylic, plywood
300mm H x 200mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
AIMEE RATANA
auhi
2022
acrylic, plywood
200mm H x 300mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
AIMEE RATANA
auhi (detail)
2022
acrylic, plywood
200mm H x 300mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
AIMEE RATANA
eke
2022
acrylic, plywood
200mm H x 300mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
AIMEE RATANA
eke (detail)
2022
acrylic, plywood
200mm H x 300mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
AIMEE RATANA
pāmamae
2022
acrylic, plywood
300mm H x 400mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
AIMEE RATANA
pāmamae (detail)
2022
acrylic, plywood
300mm H x 400mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
AIMEE RATANA
hinapouri
2022
acrylic, plywood
400mm H x 300mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
AIMEE RATANA
hinapouri (detail)
2022
acrylic, plywood
400mm H x 300mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
AIMEE RATANA
mārie
2022
acrylic, plywood
500mm H x 600mm W
AIMEE RATANA
mārie (detail)
2022
acrylic, plywood
500mm H x 600mm W
AIMEE RATANA
murimuri aroha
2022
acrylic, plywood
600mm H x 500mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION
AIMEE RATANA
murimuri aroha (detail)
2022
acrylic, plywood
600mm H x 500mm W
PRIVATE COLLECTION