WHAKAATURANGA
AUĒ, HE ATUA
12- 28 SEPTEMBER, 2024
The groundbreaking exhibition, Te Maori: Māori Art from New Zealand Collections opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, 10 September 1984. After 11 years in the making, Te Maori included 174 significant taonga from 30 iwi across the country and 14 lending institutions. Te Maori went on to tour for three years across eight major venues in America and Aotearoa, (New York, St Louis, San Francisco, Chicago, Wellington, Dunedin, Christchurch and Auckland).
Te Maori was the spiritual injection to a wider vigorous social Māori advancement that was taking place throughout the 1970-80s, including the establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal and Te Kōhanga Reo. Te Maori was an artistic expression of our mana motuhake on the world stage.
An internationally acclaimed exhibition, Te Maori changed museum practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. Te Maori enunciated the concept of cultural ownership - the involvement of iwi in the management and interpretation of their taonga, as well as acknowledging their role as kaitiaki to care for the spiritual wellbeing of taonga. Te Maori also brought a new Māori audience to the museum and inspired young Māori to the museum profession.
As the Te Maori exhibition was drawing to an end in America, there had been ongoing considerations as to how to thank and acknowledge those that had cared for Te Maori during its time overseas. It was decided to gift a taonga to mark this occasion, as well as maintain connections – he hononga wairua, a spiritual link. The gift, of course, had to reflect the gratitude of all of Aotearoa as well as the mana of Te Maori.
The decision was made that the gift would be pounamu. With the blessing of mana whenua, two large boulders were found in Kāoreore, Murihiku - they were named Aotearoa and Te Mauri o Te Maori. Together with a third stone from the Arahura named Te Waipounamu, they became the mauri stones for Te Maori.
Aotearoa was gifted to the Field Museum in Chicago for the final iteration of Te Maori in America. Te Waipounamu was gifted to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York where it had started. The second boulder became Te Mauri o Te Maori for Te Maori: Te Hokinga Mai which toured throughout New Zealand.
During the time Te Maori: Te Hokinga Mai was being exhibited in Dunedin. It was noted that this was the first time the greenstone boulder Te Mauri o Te Maori had returned to Murihiku. “Auē, he Atua” was an expression by kaumātua ,Te Kuru o Marama Waaka, nō Tuhourangi and Chairperson of the Council of Māori and Pacific Arts, during the ceremony on the marae, where he stated:
“Nō te tikinga atu, he kōhatu noa iho, erangi rā, nō te hokinga mai, Auē, he Atua"
Te Mauri o Te Maori had left as a boulder of greenstone but had returned as a spiritual abode
Upon hearing this expression on the marae, the late Piri Sciascia decided to name a mere īnanga Auē, he Atua to mark this occasion, and to this day, this mere and its connection to Te Maori draws us back to all that was said during Te Maori, recounting the histories, hopes, struggles and aspiration of Te Iwi Māori through our taonga.
Auē, He Atua symbolises the change, transition and transformation of Te Maori - A spiritual connection. A collective strength. A global statement. A stimulating homecoming.
An enduring legacy.
- Nā Ana Sciascia ēnei kupu i whakaemi
TE WAKA O RANGI
22 JUNE - 20 JULY 2024
Tērā a Puanga a Matariki ka rewa i te pae. Nau mai rā e ngā hua o te tau hou, Te Waka o Rangi kua tau!
Welcoming the Māori new year with a brand new exhibition at Ihorei Gallery, Te Waka o Rangi featuring father & son, Steve and Maia Gibbs (Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Ngāti Rangiwaho, Rongowhakaata, Rongomaiwahine and Ngāti Kahungunu).
An exhibition dedicated to their grandparents and parents. The hard work and sacrifice given for the opportunity to express oneself through creative practice. As Matariki rises, we celebrate those who have passed on, we show gratitude for what we have and send our dreams to the future. This is the first time father Steve and son Maia have exhibited together side by side.
NAU MAI, E RARAU
TOITŪ!
10 MAY - 31 MAY, 2024
TOITŪ! – a curated collection of works by seven rangatahi Māori artists. This collective have hononga to Pōneke and draw together their expressions through artist works of what Mana Motuhake means to them.
Toitū te Tiriti! A new movement springs forth the next generation of Tiriti advocates. A rangatahi-led collaborative exhibition with artists who explore themes of mana motuhake, mana whenua, mana wahine, mana takatāpui, mana tāne, kōrero tuku iho, and more. TOITŪ! is a kupu with meanings rooted in being untouched, permanent and enduring. For these artists, this kupu represents the establishment, struggle and fight for arts to have a voice and presence – much like our current political landscape facing te iwi Māori.
Our artists embrace our Māoritanga as urban rangatahi from Te Upoko o Te Ika, with hononga stretching up to the Kāpiti coast. Some hold whakapapa in the city, some are uri of the urban migration, some are local Māori artists who call Pōneke home.
Our artists are AJ Manaaki Hope - Keelin Bell - Raukawa Kiri - Taupuruariki Brightwell - Tayla Harteminke - Tokarārangi Poa, Raumati Puhia and Ashleigh Williams.
TOITŪ! draws on our history of resistance and struggle to answer the question: "What does mana motuhake mean to you? How can we claim our space in the capital city, the seat of Crown influence in Aotearoa?
NAU MAI KI TOITŪ!
LOMBARD
21 FEBRUARY - 17 MARCH 2024
DLT makes his return to Pōneke from a pioneering hip hop artist to an innovative ringatoi.
From his time at Toimairangi with Sandy Adsett, Darryl/DLT has been learning about the relationship between colours on the canvas reflective of whānau connections and bonds.
This is DLT’s first solo show, and we are honoured at Ihorei to exhibit some of his dearest and latest works.
LOMBARD breaks tradition — adapts, and flows from the past to today. DLT’s continued efforts to ‘change sh*t up’ keeps his craft fresh and true as ever.
Darryl DLT Thomson (Ngāi Upokoiri, Ngāti Hinemanu)
MATATIKI
HE TOHU RANGATIRA
12 JULY - 5 AUGUST 2023
Tērā a Matariki a Puanga, ka rewa i te pae. Ko Pōhutukawa tērā e pīataata mai nei i tēnei wāhanga o te tau, te kaikawe i ō tātou mate kia hoki ki te waka o Tama Rereti – rātou te hunga mate ki a rātou. Tātou ko ngā waihotanga iho, tēnā tātou katoa.
As we remember those we have lost in the past year, we also gather to celebrate with whānau, share kai, aspirations, stories of those who are no longer with us. We make plans for the future - Matariki Ahunga Nui! In this same way, Ihorei is honoured and proud to present MataTIKI – he tohu rangatira Exhibition as an exploration of one of our most prized and culturally iconic taonga - the hei tiki.
“Ko te pounamu he tuhonotanga ki ngā tīpuna, kātahi ki ngā atua” - Piri Sciascia
These exquisite taonga physically connect us to our atua and tīpuna from their source materials, to adornment, to naming of taonga through whakapapa. Our hei tiki from old and today celebrate and acknowledge artistic excellence and have a place in our future as te iwi Māori. They were the pinnacle of artistry and remain so today. The hei tiki were rarely seen 25 years ago on marae or were not regularly celebrated and visible see in our whānau, kapa haka, mahi and hapū today. Like tā moko and waka hourua, the hei tiki has seen a significant resurgence of creation and development and today, we are privileged to witness its resurgence
MataTIKI has been a year in the making and is the one of the largest collections of newly created hei tiki in recent years. Like many of our taonga Māori and traditions, they were systematically dismantled through colonisation -- but we have survived, and so have our taonga.
Ihorei Gallery acknowledges the ten incredible artists who have contributed works towards this exhibition -- exploring size, materiality, form and whakairo while expressing our contemporary narratives of today.
"An enduring treasure in a cultural continuum - Dougal Austin
We invite you to witness history, excellence, and expression of today’s finest hei tiki from some of Māoridom’s most prolific artists and visit the MataTIKI he tohu rangatira exhibition at Ihorei Gallery.
Nau mai rā e ngā hua o te tau hou!
BECAUSE YOU'RE MAGIC
8 JUNE - 1 JULY 2023
Rongomaiaia Te Whaiti, a painter of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa (Ngāti Hikawera, Ngāti Hinewaka) and Ngāi Tahu descent explores kōrero tuku iho through her work as a means to engage in contemporary discourse.
“You’re magic people to me. Hold your head up high, let your voices fly. I’m proud to be Māori, Proud to be Māori, Proud to be Māori” (composed by Dave Para)
Resonating through the corridors of Te Whare Paremata, and echoing across the motu since, those were the captivating words sung by Rawiri Waititi during his symbolic maiden speech as co-leader of Te Paati Māori in 2020.
In the midst of the transformative mid-late 19th century, hapū embarked on a journey to redefine their identity driven by the dynamic interplay of political and religious movements. This pivotal era served as a catalyst, sparking a rapid evolution in the artistic expression within the whare whakairo where the rendering of naturalistic paintings became a powerful means to convey the ideologies and spiritual values of the hapū. A notable example relative to the artist was Tākitimu meeting house of Ngāti Hikawera hapū in Wairarapa. Opened by Te Kooti in 1891, Tākitimu's existence was tragically cut short when it burnt down just two decades after its construction.
At the turn of the 21st century, Prof. Robert Jahnke (Ngai Taharora) worked with Saffron Te Ratana (Ngāi Tūhoe) and Shane Cotton (Ngāpuhi) to adorn the double doors within the mahau of Taharora meeting house, originally built by Riwai Pakerau of Ngāi Taharora, Waipiro Bay[1]. A student of Jahnke's at the time (Toioho ki Āpiti), Te Ratana was tasked with investigating the naturalistic painting style of Riwai Pakerau. Te Ratana drew connections to Pakerau's artistic legacy through her exquisite depiction of naturalistic trees with branches resembling arms and hands holding paintbrushes. A Toioho ki Āpiti wānanga at Taharora in 2006 and various experiences since has given impetus to Te Whaiti's exploration and contribution to the ongoing whakapapa of Māori naturalistic painting.
Drawing inspiration from the painted doors of Taharora, Because you’re magic emerges as a series of paintings portraying symbols of rangatiratanga, critical to our individual and collective existence both then and now. Through this series, the spirit of our unique culture are brought to life, bridging the past and present in a celebration of who we are… proud to be Māori!
[1] Jahnke, R. (2006). He Tataitanga Ahua Toi: The House that Riwai Built/A Continuum of Māori Art. [Doctoral Dissertation, Massey University]. Massey Research Online. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/984
WHAKAATURANGA
2022
'PŌUA' EXHIBITION
21 JUNE - 28 JULY
2022
Pōua was an exhibition that celebrated the passion and attributes of the late Piri Sciascia, fondly known as Pōua by his mokopuna (grandchildren). It combined whānau taonga and newly commissioned works gathered since his passing in January 2020.
Toitū te tāonga, whatu ngarongaro te tangata - People perish, but tāonga remain and their stories endure.
Piri believed in naming taonga and giving them life/purpose. He would name taonga after significant whenua (lands), tipuna (ancestors), and kaupapa ora (life events). The Pōua exhibition elevates these taonga, their names and stories.
15 works were exhibited and represented 15 of his mokopuna. This was the very first exhibition for Ihorei and there are more to come.
TAE WHENUA
12 APRIL - 6 MAY 2023
TAE WHENUA is a collection of work that explores the use of earth pigments and natural materials.
All of the work was created over the course of approximately 8 weeks and is bound together less by an overarching theme and more by the use of earth pigments and natural materials. This was intentional as I wanted the freedom to explore, make freely and have fun without feeling too restricted by a definative concept. Therefore some of the works were ideas that I’ve had in mind for some time, some were influenced by events that took place over the course of the 8 weeks and others are further developments of previous works.
Each of the paintings are original, hand painted with earth pigments and come custom framed in UV protective glass with the exception of two online exclusive pieces that are unframed.
An exhibition by Sian Montgomery-Neutze (Ngāi Tara, Muaūpoko)
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HAUTUTU EXHIBITION
9 NOVEMBER - 4 DECEMBER
2022
‘Haututu’ is an exploration of imagery, line, form and colour through the art of tutu. It Is making art for art's sake with nothing too serious.
Although light-hearted in the intention, there is growth, development, and enlightenment within the process. This is a space where the magic happens, and an artist truly finds uniqueness.
The intention of this show was to be light, fun, and colourful with the hope of evoking feelings of happiness. It’s a show where works offer hope, like the clearing of the rain and the beauty after a storm - some of the world's most simple pleasures and innate challenges - explored through the many interpretations of pūrākau pertaining to the rainbow.
An exhibition by Erena Koopu (Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Awa)