Strands

Making journeys to meet whānau, walk up a mountain, swim in a river, or return to an indigenous practice, each of the four artists in Strands has recently revisited the whenua they are from.

Highlighting the role of whanaungatanga, Strands brings together the work of Arapeta Ashton (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Whanaunga, Ngāti Porou, Muriwhenua), Ayesha Green (Kai Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu), Chevron Hassett (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu) and Ana Iti (Te Rarawa).

Melanie Oliver, Senior Curator at The Dowse Art Museum, says the show is about processes of learning, reconnecting with whakapapa, and discovering how history threads through our lives.

“It’s exciting to be presenting the work of these four artists together” she says. “Each presents a unique perspective of mātauranga Māori, with the artists generously sharing aspects of their lives and relationships.”

“Our education system will soon provide the opportunity to learn about the history of Aotearoa New Zealand and te reo Māori is becoming more spoken in society. This exhibition shows how important history and language are for our identity, and the ways in which it underpins and informs artistic practice.”

The exhibition features large self-portrait paintings by Ayesha Green; photographs documenting the East Coast whakapapa of Chevron Hassett; Arapeta Ashton’s video and fibre work showing the preparation of kiekie plants to create kākahu; and a new work by Ana Iti exploring the journey of learning te reo Māori, indigenous language acquisition and early printing processes.

Image credit: Arapeta Ashton, Hā, video still, photograph, 2019.