Britomart's collaboration with Auckland Pride showcases the creativity of Maia Keane, Pounamu Wharekawa and Renati Waaka, three Takatāpui Māori artists.
At Britomart, we're delighted to be working with Auckland Pride for the second year running on Te Tīmatanga Huarahi Toi, an art trail curated by Hāmiora Bailey featuring the work of three Takatāpui Māori artists.
The image below left now adorns our flags on Te Ara Tahuhu; it was created by Pounamu Wharekawa (Ngāi te Rangi, they/ themme/ ia), who "wanted to concentrate on rangatahi in urban spaces and our connections to the water. Drawing from traditional knowledge of taniwha being kaitiaki of bodies of water, I’ve put my own spin on it and created an urban baddie kind of taniwha, taking inspiration from my friends and peers and acknowledging the mahi being done by generations of young people who’ve been out doing the absolute most for their communities.”
The Te Tīmatanga Huarahi Toi also extends through the Atrium on Takutai, where a selection of beautiful photographs by Renati Waaka (He/Him, Te Arawa, Tainui) is on display, images that Renati says "weave together stories of love, ancestry, and identity and express our inherent spiritual connection we have to Te Taiao. This series of images was taken over the past year as a part of an ongoing project which explores themes of fluidity and the strength that we carry as we find our way back to ourselves. Elements of these images imitate the push and pull of the tides, the waves, and the currents, and reflect the motions in our navigation of self and place.”
On our Pavilion Panels around Te Ara Tahuhu, you can see the work of Maia Keane (she/her, Ngai Tāmanuhiri, Rongowhakaata), a series of contemporary depictions of Manaia, the messengers between the earthly and spirit worlds. Each panel, Maia says, "is directly inspired by Manaia in carved poupou from various Marae I've visited throughout Aotearoa." The series of works is entitled KO MANA A IA, and Maia says collectively they "represent a celebration of the flow of one's identity. Each line that runs through these bodies tells a story of self-discovery. It can also be interpreted as the power in exploring and smashing the boundaries between the gender binary."
To celebrate the Te Tīmatanga Huarahi Toi, we're hosting an Artists' Talk event with Generator Britomart Place where Hāmiora Bailey will be leading a half-hour conversation with the Te Tīmatanga artists about their work. Food and drinks will be served and everyone is welcome; there will be plenty of time for socialising too. Again, there’s no need to pre-register, just turn up. Here are the details:
- 5.30pm, Thursday 23 February, The Assembly, 10/F, Generator Britomart Place, 11 Britomart Place (entry through Espresso Workshop)
Photographs of the works in-situ in this post are by Samantha Totty.
