Some of my latest paintings coming at you from Wellington

Kia ora!

I returned home to Porirua, Wellington, Aotearoa at the end of January 2020 for some much needed time in my own rohe (tribal area). I will continue to be based at home in the Welington region for the foreseeable future due to the current pandemic.

I have had to postpone, cancel and reschedule many pre-planned overseas trips, kaupapa and clients for 2020 and I will be in touch with you directly about those if you were to be involved in anything that i’ve had to change due to current travel restrictions worldwide.

Here are some of my recently completed paintings, all infused with a HEALING intention. More paintings are currently in progress and I look forward to keeping you updated on new works available.

‘Native links’ collaborative painting with First Nation HAIDA artist Gregory. We completed this in March at a recent artist waananga in Tauranga. SOLD.

‘Ocean people’ collaborative painting with First Nation TLINGIT artist Nahaan, painter Kiana Ormsby and myself. Currently available at TOI MATARAU GALLERY, Māoriland Hub, Ōtaki. We completed this in March at a recent artist waananga in Tauranga.

‘Mana o te wahine’ currently available at TOI MATARAU GALLERY, Māoriland Hub, Ōtaki.

‘Nō runga i te rangi’ currently available. Email taryn.teuira@gmail.com to purchase.

Detail of ‘Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui’ currently available at TOI MATARAU GALLERY, Māoriland Hub, Ōtaki.

New paintings now showing at Toi Matarau Gallery in Ōtaki, New Zealand

I am pleased to now have a collection of my new paintings now available at Toi Matarau Gallery (Māoriland Hub) in Ōtaki.

Now that I am painting a lot, I am on the lookout for galleries in different locations to exhibit and sell my work.

I am really loving the organic round form and i’m currently experimenting with different canvas shapes.

Showing at Toi Matarau Gallery, Ōtaki, New Zealand.

Detail of ‘Poly Power’. SOLD.

Showing at Toi Matarau Gallery, Ōtaki, New Zealand.

‘Poly Power’ for sale at Toi Matarau Gallery, Māoriland Hub, Ōtaki, New Zealand. Now SOLD.

‘He Ao Hou II’ now SOLD.

‘A new dawn’ now SOLD.

My latest collection of rongoā toi ora reflective light + color therapy paintings

I have been really getting into my painting practice over the past few months and I am so grateful to everyone who has already purchased one of my original pieces!

I am also now taking custom personalized commission orders for my paintings based on your story/kaupapa, your ideal budget and your color scheme, you can email me on taryn.teuira@gmail.com to enquire about your own personalized color therapy painting!

Thank you for supporting my art practice!

Mauriora x
Taryn

My recent trip to Mo'orea, French Polynesia, to attend the Traditional Tatau Festival 2018

I recently traveled to Tahiti and Mo’orea with a group of 30 other Māori artists and cultural practitioners from Aotearoa, New Zealand. I was thrilled to be invited and to work alongside so many amazing artists. We had an amazing time and the local manaakitanga was beautiful, I was so grateful to meet and connect with so many locals.

I love the local people and whenua and am looking to returning to French Polynesia in future.

I was super inspired by the Tahitian style of tattooing that I saw there, and I was so impressed by so many of the local artists who do brilliant work.

'Puanga Kai Rau' a group exhibition opening at The Māoriland Hub in Ōtaki on 10th July

I am excited to be a part of a collaborative group Māori art exhibition opening at The Māoriland Hub on Tuesday 10th July at 5.30PM in Ōtaki.

CLICK HERE to learn more about this exhibition and its calendar of special events.

The 'Māori Modern' exhibition opening recently in Perth, Western Australia

On Saturday 6th January the 'Māori Modern' exhibition opened in Perth, featuring the work of ten different Māori artists including myself. All of the tickets for this exhibition opening sold out and I was happy to perform some of my spoken word poetry at the opening event too.

The exhibition is showing until 10th February 2018 and viewing is by appointment, please contact The Sound Temple venue directly if you wish to arrange a time to view this exhibition.

Many of the works shown in these photos are also available to purchase online here.

This Māori girl went to New York for the first time...

It was a three part trip - my partner, taonga puoro artist Jerome Kavanagh had a performance at The Lincoln Center to attend, I did a guest spot tattooing at NY Adorned, and I took over a capsule collection of art work to be exhibited at Ora Ny Gallery by the Toi Wāhine Collective. Phew it was an amazing whirlwind two trip and New York was so good to us, and I am so grateful to all of the inspiring conscious people we met over there!

Our Toi Wāhine Collective two day pop up shop at Ora Ny Gallery was off the hook!

I was very grateful to have esteemed contemporary Māori dancers Jack Grey, Louise Potiki Bryant, members of Altamira Dance Crew and their indigenous friends come and perform at our pop up shop on the final evening at the gallery.

Very grateful to New Zealand musicians Andrew White, Paddy Free of Pitch Black and Jerome Kavanagh for performing live in the gallery on both evenings at our pop up shop.

With my Navajo friend Precious at Ny Adorned after tattooing her.

Resin jewelry by Evelyn Ross that was part of the capsule collection I took to New York.

Hanging outside Ora Ny Gallery with New Zealand Photographer Nichola Clark and friend.

Moko completed for a Taranaki born client at Ny Adorned.

Dressed up and ready to roll out for one of my first nights in New York City!

With all of the amazing dancers that graced the exhibition space on the final evening of our pop up shop exhibition.

Kirituhi completed for an African-American woman at Ny Adorned.

The performance that my partner was invited to be a part of at The Lincoln Center was pretty awe inspiring!

I buzzed out on how many psychic shops were in NYC - they seemed to be as common as dairies are in New Zealand!

Taaniko work by Kui Topia that was part of the Toi Wāhine Collective pop up shop.

With New York based Māori gallerist John Royal and his daughter.

Kirituhi for my new friend Grace from Trinidad and Tobago at Ny Adorned.

Tattooing an American born Māori man at NY Adorned.

With new friends Keke and Giarna Te Kanawa, gallerist of Ora Ny Gallery.

Kirituhi at Ny Adorned for a Columbian woman.

Being a poser in the back of a New York yellow cab.

At Ora Ny Gallery.

With a Hawaiian Māoli woman that I met at the gallery, it was so great meeting so many Polynesians from all over in New York.

Outside Ny Adorned.

At the after party of The Lincoln Center performance, 'Calling All Dawns'.

With my new friends Tiff and Sammay at Ora Ny Gallery.

So awesome getting to meet indigenous First Nations performer, Supaman at The Shrine in Harlem.

A projected image of contemporary Māori jeweler, Keri-Mei Zagrobelna on the wall of Ora Ny Gallery as part of a moving portraits film installation by Pikihuia Haenga that was part of our pop up shop exhibition. 

My New York family on the trip.

Partay time at the gallery once all the work was finished.

Posey posers.

With new friends Amy and Cristina at the gallery.

A selection of the capsule collection by Toi Wāhine Collective at Ora Ny Gallery.

With my new friend Sammay, Filipino dancer.

Moko completed for an American born Māori man at Ny Adorned.

Sold out art prints! Thanks to you guys!

Thank you to everyone that has been purchasing my art prints so far, I really appreciate your support and I love the idea of my art going all around the world and into peoples homes and personal lives. Ngā mihi ki a koutou katoa!

These 'Te Waipounamu' prints were a limited edition run of 10 and they are now all sold out.

Progress shot of 'Te Waipounamu' A3 drawing.

Progress shot of 'Te Waipounamu' A3 drawing.

My 'Ūkaipō' pink art prints as shown below were a limited edition run of 20 and they are now all sold out too.

$10NZD from every one of these art prints was donated to Kai4Kids, a New Zealand charity that provides food to schools in low decile areas. Together we donated $200NZD to this great kaupapa - thank you, thank you, thank you.

My latest art print to sell out was an A4 limited edition run of 20 again, called 'Of course i'm a feminist' as shown below. Thanks to everyone that bought one!

I am currently working on some more new limited edition art print designs (they are so much fun) so keep an eye out! Thanks again for buying my art, I am so grateful!

Taking tā moko tattooing into fine art galleries

Last weekend I attended the opening of 'He Toi Reikorangi: Te Ātiawa artists celebrate Matariki' at Mahara Gallery in Waikanae, on the Kapiti Coast of the Wellington region (New Zealand). It was super exciting and hundrends of people showed up to celebrate and show their support for the exhibition, including some of the best Māori artists in the world. For the duration of the opening weekend, Mahara Gallery invited myself, Rangi Kipa and Mitchell Hughes to showcase our tā moko expertise.

The fact that this exhibition opening was in Waikanae was personally significant to me, because my grandmother spent a lot of her life growing up in Waikanae, and her grandfather Wi Parata was a well known leader of the area and one of the biggest landowners - in fact Waikanae was once known as 'Parata Town'.

Iwi exhibitions are one of my favorite types of exhibitions because they reinforce and strengthen the whakapapa/genealogical bonds between the artists and the people of the iwi they belong to. Iwi exhibitions are a positive and uplifting community kaupapa that bring people together, showcasing the artistic excellence and skills amongst that particular tribe - I think that in itself, is an inspiring and empowering outcome.

A section of the moko peha that I worked on at Mahara Gallery during the exhibition opening weekend.

My eight year old apprentice, Ria Te Uira, stretching skin at Mahara Gallery.

My niece Ria Te Uira is a great little apprentice.

One of the reasons that I love to bring tā moko into art galleries is that it exposes and opens up the art form and cultural practice, to an entirely different audience, an audience that may not ever have the chance to see tā moko happening in real life, in any other situation. The potential for engagement with the public is great in an art gallery setting, and I enjoy answering the many and varied questions that people come up with. Having tā moko artists working in an art gallery space is magnetic, cutting edge, and a rare opportunity for gallery viewers to witness the tā moko process.

Another reason that I enjoy bringing tā moko into art gallery (and museum) settings is because I believe that all of our Māori art forms are inter-related and connected. Our various different art forms are at their strongest when put together and combined, contrasted against each other, complimenting one another, feeding into, informing and in conversation with one another. A decorated wharenui is a prime example of this, as is kapa haka where you see many of our art forms in relationship together at once.

The idea of inter-related art forms is part of the reason why I love collaborating and working alongside other artists, that use different mediums to me. It is also why I am currently enjoying the use of taonga puoro by Jerome Kavanagh, to compliment my tā moko process.

Tohunga tā moko, Rangi Kipa was also tattooing at Mahara Gallery for the exhibition opening weekend, as was moko artist Mitchell Hughes.

An outstanding modern work by master artist, Rangi Kipa.

Inspiring tukutuku work in the exhibition by my whanaunga, expert weaver Kohai Grace.

Photographic portraits in the exhibition featuring Te Ātiawa women and their moko kauae, by Heloise Bergman.

Whakairo in the exhibition by my whanaunga, Rakairoa Hori.

Painting in the exhibition by one of my favorite contemporary Māori painters, Darcy Nicholas.

Outstanding hue by expert weaver, Veranoa Hetet.

I love this work by Tracey Morgan using seaweed and tāniko.

I have two prints on show in the exhibition, 'Manu Ariki' and 'Hine Ariki'. The kete shown in the foreground are by Snooks Forster.

My painting 'Te Āhuru Mōwai' currently at Mahara Gallery. This painting refers to a 'cosy haven' inside the womb of a woman, the home of a baby growing, the amniotic fluid and the dna / ancestral material that makes up the baby and who the baby is / will become.

The photos of art work shown in this article are just a snapshot of the full exhibition and there are many more awesome and innovative works on show until 12th July 2015, so go and see for yourself!

Moko kauae: a sneak peek

I recently spent about a week tattooing in Taihape at Winiata Marae. In general I mostly prefer to stay within my own rohe, and work within areas that I have some whakapapa link or affiliation to (except when I am overseas) - that's just how I prefer to roll whenever possible. However since my partner invited me to work in his rohe at his marae, I was more than happy to pack up my gear and head to Taihape. Furthermore, marae are one of my absolute favorite places to work, along with galleries and museums, so I jumped at the chance to work inside the whare there. As it happened, I did discover a link between my extended whānau and the whānau at Winiata Marae.

It was snowing and really freezing cold the week that we were there, as you can tell by my attire! It's hard to stay fashionable when you are so cold!

Whilst in Taihape I had the pleasure and privilege of tattooing a moko kauae for a local kuia. For me, moko kauae is the epitome of my tā moko practice and it is my favorite type of moko to do. Moko kauae has always been a strong motivating force for me and a large part of why I got into, and have stuck at tā moko. I want to see more and more wāhine Māori take on and wear their moko kauae with pride, strength and dignity - particularly within my own whānau, hapū and iwi. 

Some friends of mine at Kikorua Films came and stayed with us for part of our trip and made a little film clip and took some photos. I think they did a great job of capturing the essence of the environment we were working in, and the mahi that we did there.

Moko kauae is a very special and important kaupapa. If you would like to talk me about getting your own moko kauae done, please email me on taryn.teuira@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading!

Work with me: Matariki Māori star art workshop for educators and tamariki

An example of the activity I teach in the workshop.

I recently had the opportunity to teach some teachers a Māori art activity that I created for Matariki, based on contemporary whetū/star designs. I have always had a personal interest in stars and the activity grew organically from my own art practice where I started creating round kōwhaiwhai style star designs that I wanted to tattoo on people. Fortunately for me, an organization called Ruapehu Rural Education Programme, offered me the chance to deliver this art drawing activity as a workshop for its educators to come and learn, and to then takeaway and share with the children that they work with. It was super exciting to have the chance to work in the sphere of education, and I would love to do more work like this.

My desire to teach, share and be involved with children and young people has been increasing more and more over the years, and I have a true and passionate interest in education through the arts. I really believe that the arts are a powerful vehicle for instilling confidence in children, helping them to grow their own voices, assisting them to become powerful communicators, and aiding them in finding, exploring and expressing their own unique identities. I believe that the arts have a myriad of benefits for children and all of humanity, and I am currently investing more time, effort and research into learning more about education through the arts. Here's another article I wrote about my recent experience with Māori Art based education.

One of the workshop participants children came in after school and had a go at the activity.

An early childhood teacher from Ireland practicing the activity so she can share it with the tamariki that she works with.

Doing the activity myself while the workshop participants worked on their own star designs.

One of the workshop participants sussing out the technique so she can share it with the tamariki that she works with.

If you are interested in me coming to share this fun and educational, hands on and practical Māori star art workshop (perfect for Matariki) with your organization or group of people, please fill out the enquiry form below.

Tattooer turned teacher? Why I love working with kids!

The designs used in the mural all had direct relevance to the children, who they are, who they have descended from and the overall message and kaupapa of the work.

It was great to see the older children helping the younger children - the tuakana/teina relationships in action, and everyone working together as a team with a common goal.

I've recently been having more and more opportunities to work with tamariki and rangatahi, involving them in my work and sharing my passion for Māori Art and Tā Moko with them. Working in the educational sphere has already taught me so much and added so much value to my art practice and my life - teaching and sharing what I love is hugely rewarding!

There are several reasons why I love working with young people and why I think it is important.

Personally I feel that all creative activities have a multitude of benefits for human beings, and in particular children - the seeds of our future. Having an outlet and means of expression is healthy, healing and therapeutic. The arts have the ability to bring out the best in people, to bring us together, to connect and unite. The arts are a vehicle for teaching team work and creative collaboration with one another. Through the arts we can learn the power of focus, and the value of determination, commitment, persistence, practice, patience, and observation.

Cultural arts can connect children with who they are, their unique identities, who they have come from, their ancestry and the rich and vast culture and visual language that has been laid out before them by our ancestors. Cultural arts can be a vehicle for teaching both the importance of maintaining tradition, and also the value of innovation and evolution.

Cultural arts can also serve as a connecting point across cultures, bringing people of all different world views together - it can be a vehicle for cultural exchange and fostering respect between different people from all around the world. To me, empathising, understanding, seeing value in, and having an appreciation and interest in other cultures outside of ones own, is good for our kids.

A drawing exercise with tamariki at Takapūwāhia Marae where they draw what they see inside our whare tupuna.

Whakairo, tukutuku and kōwhaiwhai are all easily accessible for the children to observe and connect with inside the whare tupuna, which is why marae are one of my favorite places to work.

Many Māori children are naturally artistically talented and inclined and I believe in encouraging, fostering and cultivating this to its fullest potential.

I believe that Māori Art is a viable career pathway for some of our rangatahi and I want to help them achieve their dreams and goals and show that it is possible to be a successful Māori Artist, to not only survive from art but to thrive as well. I feel that the arts are an even playing field (provided you work hard and put in the hours) - for the kids that may not be good at sports, or maths, or English, or whatever the case may be, the arts can provide an opportunity for them to excel at something and to experience a feeling of success, accomplishment and achievement within themselves. There are many success stories of Māori Artists excelling in their chosen fields both within Aotearoa and internationally - and for the children that have their heart in their art, I want to help them excel and succeed. 

A big thank you to my whanaunga Ash who co-facilitated this educational workshop, without Ash's contribution this workshop wouldn't have been possible.

If you would like me to come and work with your school, museum, gallery, organization or marae, just email me on taryn.teuira@gmail.com with details of what you would like to achieve, your budget, and some information about the group that you'd like me to work with. I'm currently working on developing a series of workshops - stay posted.

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