Māori Artists Showcase Identity and Political Expression at Whanganui Fringe Exhibition

A new exhibition in Whanganui is providing a platform for Māori artists to explore themes of identity, political resistance, and intergenerational values. Ora Te Toi, a fringe exhibition to the inaugural Festival of Design Aotearoa, has been on display at The Hive since 16 October. The showcase features five artists from Te Taihauāuru whose works reflect the intersection of ancestral knowledge and lived experience. Among the featured artists is Porirua poet and artist Iwa Holmes, whose work draws inspiration from the political nature of traditional nursery rhymes. Holmes, who released her collection A Waka of Words at Pipitea Marae last year, uses her art to navigate Aotearoa’s history and social conditions. Her contributions to the Whanganui exhibition continue her commitment to storytelling and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Master weaver Trina Taurua is also exhibiting a range of works while simultaneously featuring a whāriki (woven mat) in the festival’s main He Puna Tohunga exhibition. With 15 years of tutoring experience at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Taurua is using the platform to promote Papa Whāriki. This initiative, which began in Ngā Rauru, aims to return whāriki to marae and whānau spaces for use in daily life and ceremonies like tangihanga. The exhibition also highlights the works of Tuakana Holmes, who presented a pennant inspired by Te Kooti’s battle flag, incorporating Australian Aboriginal and Palestinian symbols to reflect global Indigenous solidarity. Additionally, Luther Ashford and Maihi Potaka-Butler of the Te Pae Tawhiti Collective are showcasing their Mātāpono Collection, a series of digital prints exploring the values that drive their creative collective. Sponsored by Te Manu Atatū, the Whanganui Māori Business Network, the exhibition runs until Sunday. Creative Whetu Fala noted the importance of the network providing a whare for Te Taihauāuru artists to determine their own creative narratives within the wider festival framework.