Julie Paama-Pengelly
Julie Paama-Pengelly is a veteran in the revitalisation of tā moko Māori tattooing. Her studio in Mount Maunganui mixes contemporary and traditional designs and cultivates artists from all walks of life.
With expansive teaching experience, her art practice ranges from the use of symbolic imagery to pure abstraction in graphic design, painting, mixed media, and tattooing.
Over time many misconceptions have surfaced about who has the right to wear and practice tā moko. Julie is one of the first women to practice in the male-dominated field. She is a strong voice for Māori women’s rights and continues to break down barriers to give women a place in tā moko and in the arts.
Maraea Timutimu
Maraea Timutimu is a multi-disciplinary artist from Tauranga Moana. She’s an art kaiako in Tauranga, and a former student of Queen Victoria Māori Girls Boarding School. Maraea has produced work across a wide range of mediums through paint, sculpture, printmaking and installation. Often coming back to our traditional arts, poi, tukutuku, and raranga.
Maraea was introduced to natural dyes and colour pigments during time as a student of Tina Wirihana at Te Wānanga o Awanuiarangi. In recent times, whenua has become a medium for her to explore connection and whakapapa, as she brings together pigments from Tūhoe, Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāi te Rangi. It has become a way to document the places to which she belongs.
Alongside using whenua pigments in her individual art practice, Maraea is also engaged in the kaupapa of sharing this knowledge with her wider hapori.
Kereama Taepa
Kereama Taepa is a contemporary Māori artist who creates artwork based on customary Māori artforms with a technological twist. Taepa’s works are informed by customary Māori art forms and conventions yet use digital technologies to explore Te Ao Matihiko and it’s relationship toTe Ao Māori. His work at times remains digital through projections, 3D animations, AR, VR and Online experiences and also manifests physically through digital prints on paper and 3D printed works at various scales. His work also combines multiple technologies within installation experiences. Taepa’s product based work includes 3D printed jewelry and taonga puoro.
Linda Munn
When you're born indigenous - you're born into the service of your people - the level of commitment is life long - in hopes of your legacy continuing for generations to come.
Looking through the lens of a Māori wahine, artist, activist, mother that shapes my paradigm… my artwork encapsulates the ongoing struggles of intergenerational trauma through land loss, cultural assimilation and the colonial mindset.
Tarryn Motutere
Tarryn Motutere’s mahi raranga begins with the preparation of the fibres. Here is where tikanga is set, and creativity starts to simmer away in the background. Many things are considered during the preparation process, including color, pattern, techniques, fibre, texture, time frames, and of course kaupapa.
For Motutere, raranga deepens her appreciation for her tūpuna, their innovation, their creativity and their resourcefulness.
"Of all the creative endeavors Ive dabbled in, practising raranga has been the one discipline that has nurtured my creativity while taking care of my wairua".
Louis Mikaere
Louis Mikaere's art is a unique blend of traditional Māori motifs and graffiti. He often uses paint and color on canvas, but he also creates works using ballpoint pen and digital media.
His work is often highly detailed and realistic, and it often makes connections to the urban environment he grew up in. However, his concepts are always grounded in kōrero and mātauranga Māori.
Arohanoa Mathews
“My art represents ‘who I am’ and ‘where I come from’ – clearly representing my cultural heritage ‘Māori’ through the use of the ’kauae’ (chin tattoo) and other significant elements drawn from traditional Māori motifs and concepts.
The notion of ‘empowering’ women to have and use their voice in their workplace, home life, relationships and in life generally, has close connotations for me. Married with children and having worked full time in mostly leadership roles, the motivation to empower women either personally and/or professionally is at the forefront of my work.
It is through my artistry in painting, that the aim to inspire other women to use their own voice to empower themselves, is key.”
Tania Lewis-Rickard
Tania Lewis-Rickard’s work is a reflection of the artist's desire to raise awareness, encourage open conversations, and remind others that they are not alone.
The artist uses light, liquid, pattern, and color as metaphors for abstract thoughts and the complexities of the mind. Light symbolizes hope and the gaining of knowledge and understanding of a topic that affects us all in some way.
Her work is an invitation, a reminder that there is nothing inherently wrong with you as a person. It is also a reminder that with the support and love of whanau (family and community), you can learn to embrace comfort in the confusion while finding beauty in the healing process.
Ivan Toopi
Ivan Toopi grew up in Taranaki - around Opunake and Ngā Motu. Always being creative, he remembers putting things together with paper and anything at hand - but always drawing.
The birth of his children inspired Toopi to get back into art later on in life in order to pass down culture in a visual way - so they grow up in a way that they are grounded within mātauranga Māori towards self determination.
Justine Munn
A long time journey of painting portraiture and figurative images, since 2006 I have continued this in my later years as a painter and where this journey will continue to take me.
Spent most of my early years raising my son, and working part time as a health care worker. So painting was still in the making.