Ngā pari tai rua : an exhibition report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Māori Visual Arts at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Abstract

This exhibition report traces the progression of my two-year exploration in the Master of Māori Visual Arts program and frames its impact on the development of my painting practice. It navigates the history of Māori visual culture, and discusses the effect of European contact and colonisation on indigenous art practices. The exploration encompasses customary carvings, the history of painting in Aotearoa and the transmigration of Māori visual concepts. Within this context, contemporary Māori Artists exploring customary visual culture and figurative painting from the nineteenth century, are referenced. Their work is then contextualised against my own practice from 2022 and 2023, providing an understanding of both continuity and transformation of Māori visual arts. The culmination of this exploration is embodied in my latest body of work, the thesis exhibition Ngā Pari Tai Rua. This exhibition invites viewers to engage with a visual representation of the ao Māori, navigating through stories of kaitiaki, tūpuna and the enduring mana of pūrākau.