Latest news with #RobynKahukiwa
The Spinoff
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
‘Indigenous nonfiction is vital': Qiane Matata-Sipu's books confessional
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Qiane Matata-Sipu (Te Waiohua, Waikato, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Pikiao, Cook Islands), author of Ngā Kupenga a Nanny Rina (illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White) which is up for the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award at the 2025 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. The book I wish I'd written I know it probably takes the fun out of answering these kinds of things, but I don't wish to have written any other books than my own. All the incredible stories and kōrero that I immerse myself in as a reader are a direct reflection of the remarkable writers who penned them. They inspire me to push myself further, to challenge my thinking and to value the stories I have waiting. I wish to champion them and their mahi so we can all make different sized ripples and the puna can overflow. Everyone should read Native Ritual: a Mana Wahine Sourcebook by Ngahuia Murphy because it houses mātauranga that colonisation tried to lose in the lashings, scrape off the tongues of tūpuna and bury in the ashes of the whare wānanga. Ngahuia reminds us of the importance of ceremony, rites of passage and ritual, while reviving these teachings. She shares karakia and guides connection to Kurawaka. There is nothing else like it around. The book I want to be buried with Don't bury me with anything, it's no good for Papatūānuku, but if you are at my tangihanga please read poetry into the night. Start with words from Hoki Mai by Rangimarie Sophie Jolley, weave in Whai by Nicole Titihuia Hawkins, and light the ahi while reading Raised by the Renaissance by Rangipare Belshaw-Ngaropo. Take everyone on a journey from whenua and whakapapa to whānau, whawhai and whakawātea. Let the words remind us of our complexities. Give yourself permission to celebrate and grieve all at once as you are held in the knowing that we can be lost, and home, and broken, and audacious, and witty, and powerful, and healing, and hopeful, all at once, too. And while we're on tangihanga talk, don't even think about reading biblical verses during the 7am and 7pm wā karakia. Instead, after the owhaowha, let my girls teach you how the karanga of Hinenuitepō will guide me to Hawaiki. They will preach to you the stories from Wāhine Toa by Patricia Grace and Robyn Kahukiwa while preparing a sermon from excerpts of Atua Wāhine by Hana Tapiata. The book that made me cry All that we know by Shilo Kino. I was completely fine until the last three pages in the final chapter. If I could ready only three books for the rest of my life they would be Taniwha by Robyn Kahukiwa to remind me of the important things; Te Mahi Māra Hua Parakore – a Māori Food Sovereignty Handbook by Jessica Hutchings to ensure we never go hungry; Kāwai by Monty Souter is perfect for such a time as this because it's the only book I have got so lost in that I yearned to be transported into its pages to live out the rest of my life. The best thing about reading Reading is an opportunity for me as a māmā to connect deeply with my tamariki. Snuggled under the blanket before bedtime, tucked away from the distractions of the day, we get to make up voices for our fave characters, celebrate learning kupu hōu, share giddy smiles when we accomplish the next chapter of a special story and feel the exhilaration of being challenged, inspired and nourished. Fingers trace intricate illustrations and inquisitive minds ask worldly questions. In those moments when it's just us, and a book, I relish in the simplicity of our joy and aroha. Most underrated book Te Whē ki Tukorehe edited by Anahera Gildea and Nadine Hura. In all fairness there were only 200 copies printed, I am privileged to own number 134, but a book that has been guided by literary giants, designed by my fav Chloē Reweti and featuring contributions by the likes of Anne-Marie Te Whiu, Ataria Sharman, Kahu Kutia, Michelle Rahurahu and Te Kahureremoa Taumata, to name a few, should feature on lists of greatness across the motu. It's not just a book, it's a movement of mana and collaboration making marks in the whakapapa of Māori literature by recognising that the process is just as important as the output. Featuring essays, imagery, poetry and prose it is a stunning collection of works. And the paper stock is just yummy. Fiction or nonfiction Indigenous nonfiction is vital in our world today, especially in our current political climate. I think it is incredibly important that we have writers documenting and sharing mātauranga, histories that differ from the Western male gaze and kōrero that not only revives Indigenous knowledge but reminds us of who we are and the Indigenous blueprints for living well. I have a series of book shelves at home that are dedicated to pukapuka supporting the growth of te reo Māori, books that speak to the whakapapa of people and place, art books that champion our weavers, painters, carvers and ceramicists, and new age publications that ensure my uri whakaheke have access to wellbeing tools that are relevant to them and their lived experiences. At the same time, this world can be a shithole and there's no better escape from it than bloody good fiction. Best place to read My answer would usually be something along the lines of 'lying outside the tent at a remote beach location, creamy pāua bubbling on the burner and the kids playing in the kaukau'. But at this moment in time, it is on the mustard bean bag in the corner of my pōtiki's room, before her second nap when the kōkōwai-coloured wall is drenched in the just right amount of afternoon sun. Her three-month-old gummy grin dribbling on the corners of Kupu Tauaro by Kitty Brown and Kirsten Parkinson as we make our way through their Reo Pēpi series. What are you reading right now I am currently reading the proofs of my next children's book My First Ikura and the reo Māori version, Taku Ikura Tuatahi. It's a story that follows a young girl as she experiences her first ikura (period), guided by the love and support of her whānau. Rooted in a Māori worldview, it explores the sacredness of this stage in life, the important roles of family and community, and the ceremonies that uplift and honour young wāhine. A gentle, empowering read for growing girls and their whānau, this self-published taonga celebrates the journey into womanhood with pride, knowledge and aroha (released in October 2025). Ngā Kupenga a Nanny Rina by Qiane Matata-Sipu and illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White ($21, Penguin) is available to purchase through Unity Books.
Otago Daily Times
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Obituary: artist whose colour palette and politics made her name
ROBYN KAHUKIWA Robyn Kahukiwa was an intensely private woman who always claimed that her art spoke for her. The Australian-born painter, then Robyn Fletcher Crenshaw, moved to New Zealand as a 19-year-old in 1957, having trained as a commercial artist. An early inspiration for Kahukiwa's own art came from discovering her Māori heritage (Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Konohi, and Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare) on her mother's side. Art was not a career option at that time in New Zealand and Kahukiwa worked as a highly-respected secondary school teacher at Mana College as a day job, while also raising a family with husband Dooley Kahukiwa, whom she married in 1965. The feelings she needed to express found their wellspring through painting and Kahukiwa soon gained a following in her home base of Wellington. Influenced by the likes of Frida Kahlo and Colin McCahon, her works stood out in the annual Academy of Fine Arts exhibitions in which she took part for most of the 1970s. Her first solo show was held in 1971, at Wellington's Red Cottage Gallery. As her work matured, Kahukiwa explored themes such as motherhood, womanhood, Māori identity and sovereignty. She was unafraid to mix bold political statement with mundane settings, many paintings were inspired by the Porirua streets where she lived. Environmental themes often cropped up and as her knowledge of her heritage deepened Kahukiwa would also draw upon Māori mythology and spirituality. In the early 1980s, thanks to a grant, Kahukiwa was able to become a full-time artist, supplementing what she earned from sales with prolific and acclaimed work as an illustrator and writer of children's books. Noted collaborators included Patricia Grace and Joy Cowley. In 1983 her big break came, the "Wāhine Toa" exhibition. Its images of strong Māori women electrified audiences, it toured the country for two years. Kahukiwa was in demand, and her works were snapped up by private collectors and public galleries alike. She became one of the most widely represented artists in New Zealand's public art collections. Her work also attracted international attention, and Kahukiwa participated in group exhibitions and workshops in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and in 2023 had work exhibited at the Sharjah Biennial. Ever the teacher, Kahukiwa became a valued mentor and an inspiration for generations of young artists, Māori and non-Māori alike. Her influence and impact on New Zealand art was recognised in 2020 when Kahukiwa was awarded Te Tohu Aroha mō Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the Exemplary/Supreme Award at the Te Waka Toi Awards. One of Kahukiwa's last major shows was in 2024, at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery. The gallery wrote, "Robyn Kahukiwa's artworks have made a difference to Māori". "They have provided not only beauty and strength but inroads into our mātauranga, and the multi-layered, inter-generational and ever-evolving stories that are part of our cultural landscape." Robyn Kahukiwa died on April 11, aged 86. — APL
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
New Exhibitions Celebrate Waikato's Public Art And Pioneering Maaori Artist
Press Release – Hamilton City Council Inside Out is open to the public at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery from 16 May to 5 October 2025 and entry is free. Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi is open from 16 May to 7 September 2025 and entry is free. He Mai Mai Aroha Kia Fred Graham' E te maatanga toi ote ao Maaori takoto! Kua mutu to hikoitanga ite mata ote whenua oou Tuupuna Maatua Haere atu raa. E kore e mutu te tangi mou. Kei te tuu tonu ana oou taonga hanga nei koe ete matua hurinoa ki te Ao katoa! Kaati a tera waahi mou E moe! A celebration of Waikato's public art and a powerful painting retrospective are the two new exhibitions opening this week at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery. 'Inside Out' showcases the region's landmark sculptures through photographs alongside smaller-scale works by the same artists. The exhibition has been curated by Te Whare Taonga's Gina Matchitt and includes work by the legendary Tainui artist Fred Graham, who passed away last week aged 97. 'Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi' celebrates pioneering Maaori artist Robyn Kahukiwa, who passed away recently aged 87. The exhibition is developed and toured by The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata, in partnership with Te Manawa Museum. 'We are buzzing with excitement to share these two new exhibitions,' said Liz Cotton, Director of Museum and Arts. ' Inside Out will take our visitors from the bold outdoor landmarks we all recognise from around the region, to the intimacy of a gallery setting with insights to the process of developing larger-than-life scale work. 'It's fascinating to see how an iconic public artwork, like Chris Booth and Diggeress Te Kanawa's 'Ngā Uri o Hinetuparimaunga' located at the entrance to Hamilton Gardens, relates directly to an exquisite feathered korowai and to a dramatic installation in the Museum's largest gallery space. 'As well as work by Fred Graham, Chris Booth, and Diggeress Te Kanawa, Inside Out also features the artists Dion Hitchens, Lonnie Hutchinson, Bob Jahnke, Eugene Kara, and Para Matchitt. 'We've also created the 'Inside Out Road Trip' with a custom Google Maps itinerary so that you can continue a self-lead adventure visiting the public art featured in our exhibition.' Regarding the exhibition Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi, Cotton acknowledges the poignant timing of this tribute to one of Aotearoa New Zealand's trailblazing artists: 'In light of Robyn's passing, there is a deeper resonance to Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi and the decades of her artwork on display. Her mahi has become an alternate visual rendering of Aotearoa's history, through the lens of a Maaori woman. It is an honour to share this nationwide touring exhibition with our communities here in Hamilton Kirikiriroa.' Robyn Kahukiwa has iwi affiliations to Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Konohi, and Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare. As well as powerful paintings that interweave art and politics, she also wrote and illustrated award-winning children's books, including collaborating with writer Patricia Grace. In 2020, Creative New Zealand named Kahukiwa as the Supreme Award winner at the 34th Te Waka Toi Awards in recognition of her extensive career as a painter, illustrator, sculptor and author, as well as her unyielding political and cultural commentary. Inside Out is open to the public at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery from 16 May to 5 October 2025 and entry is free. Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi is open from 16 May to 7 September 2025 and entry is free. Please note For te reo Maaori, Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery uses double vowels (uu) in place of vowels with a macron (ū) to represent a long vowel sound. This spelling approach is the preference of tangata whenua in Hamilton Kirikiriroa and Waikato iwi for te reo Maaori words. Artists' titles are shown in their original form.
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
New Exhibitions Celebrate Waikato's Public Art And Pioneering Maaori Artist
He Mai Mai Aroha Kia Fred Graham' E te maatanga toi ote ao Maaori takoto! Kua mutu to hikoitanga ite mata ote whenua oou Tuupuna Maatua Haere atu raa. E kore e mutu te tangi mou. Kei te tuu tonu ana oou taonga hanga nei koe ete matua hurinoa ki te Ao katoa! Kaati a tera waahi mou E moe! A celebration of Waikato's public art and a powerful painting retrospective are the two new exhibitions opening this week at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery. 'Inside Out' showcases the region's landmark sculptures through photographs alongside smaller-scale works by the same artists. The exhibition has been curated by Te Whare Taonga's Gina Matchitt and includes work by the legendary Tainui artist Fred Graham, who passed away last week aged 97. 'Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi' celebrates pioneering Maaori artist Robyn Kahukiwa, who passed away recently aged 87. The exhibition is developed and toured by The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata, in partnership with Te Manawa Museum. 'We are buzzing with excitement to share these two new exhibitions,' said Liz Cotton, Director of Museum and Arts. ' Inside Out will take our visitors from the bold outdoor landmarks we all recognise from around the region, to the intimacy of a gallery setting with insights to the process of developing larger-than-life scale work. 'It's fascinating to see how an iconic public artwork, like Chris Booth and Diggeress Te Kanawa's 'Ngā Uri o Hinetuparimaunga' located at the entrance to Hamilton Gardens, relates directly to an exquisite feathered korowai and to a dramatic installation in the Museum's largest gallery space. 'As well as work by Fred Graham, Chris Booth, and Diggeress Te Kanawa, Inside Out also features the artists Dion Hitchens, Lonnie Hutchinson, Bob Jahnke, Eugene Kara, and Para Matchitt. 'We've also created the 'Inside Out Road Trip' with a custom Google Maps itinerary so that you can continue a self-lead adventure visiting the public art featured in our exhibition.' Regarding the exhibition Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi, Cotton acknowledges the poignant timing of this tribute to one of Aotearoa New Zealand's trailblazing artists: 'In light of Robyn's passing, there is a deeper resonance to Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi and the decades of her artwork on display. Her mahi has become an alternate visual rendering of Aotearoa's history, through the lens of a Maaori woman. It is an honour to share this nationwide touring exhibition with our communities here in Hamilton Kirikiriroa.' Robyn Kahukiwa has iwi affiliations to Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Konohi, and Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare. As well as powerful paintings that interweave art and politics, she also wrote and illustrated award-winning children's books, including collaborating with writer Patricia Grace. In 2020, Creative New Zealand named Kahukiwa as the Supreme Award winner at the 34th Te Waka Toi Awards in recognition of her extensive career as a painter, illustrator, sculptor and author, as well as her unyielding political and cultural commentary. Inside Out is open to the public at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery from 16 May to 5 October 2025 and entry is free. Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi is open from 16 May to 7 September 2025 and entry is free. Please note For te reo Maaori, Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery uses double vowels (uu) in place of vowels with a macron (ū) to represent a long vowel sound. This spelling approach is the preference of tangata whenua in Hamilton Kirikiriroa and Waikato iwi for te reo Maaori words. Artists' titles are shown in their original form.
