A new portrait exhibition celebrating emerging Māori artists has opened its doors to the public in Wellington.
The Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award was launched to inspire a new generation of Māori artists by creating portraits of their ancestors, using any visual medium.
Of the 128 entries from around the country, 50 are now on show at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery.
It’s a collaboration between the Kiingitanga, or Māori King Movement, and the gallery.
“The idea was to bring together a pictorial display of our Rangatira, past and present”, says Rahui Papa, a spokesperson for the Kiingitanga. “On the walls you see the lessons of our past in all their glory.”
The winning piece, titled Nana, is a photograph by Bodie Friend from Manurewa of his great uncle Pat.
“This was taken a week before his 88th birthday,” Friend says.
“Everybody felt like we had a nana Pat in our whakapapa,” according to one of the judges, Kura Te Waru-Rewiri. “It was the smile and what he wore and how he projected himself in a very humble way.”
It’s hoped the portraits will encourage other aspiring Māori artists.
“There’s a bit of responsibility that I’ve been given this honour,” Bodie says. “I must continue to share my stories, hone my craft, and hopefully what we’re all doing here might inspire others to share their stories.
The exhibition is open to the public until August 15.
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