Tōku whare tukutuku : an exhibition report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Māori Visual Arts, College of Creative Arts at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 27th May 2027.

Abstract

He whare tangata ora rānei, he whare tangata mate rānei? These questions must plague the minds of wahine who battle with infertility and miscarriage which has been my struggle over a period of 19 years with trying to conceive a pēpi. Since the birth of my pōtiki Te Aumangea in February 2023, I have had time to reflect on the physical and mental challenges and share my personal journey in this exegesis and my final thesis exhibition. My methodology utilises the framework of the whare such as whare rūnanga, whare ora, whare mate and whare tangata to support my kaupapa. The ‘whare frameworks’ allow me to embed and document the various stages of my journey with In Vitro Fertility (IVF). My final thesis exhibition, Tōku whare tukutuku, dissects and deconstructs customary tukutuku patterns to recreate patterns that aim to communicate the emotional whakapaparanga of my journey.