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 work will be exhibited at MAHARA GALLERY in the upcoming exhibition 'BEING FEMALE HERE NOW'

I am looking forward to exhibiting some of my work alongside 7 other awesome wahine artists in the upcoming exhibition ‘BEING FEMALE HERE NOW’ opening soon in Waikanae, Kāpiti Coast, Aotearoa, New Zealand.

If you are in the area, go and check it out! Mauriora!

Exhibiting at Tāneatua Gallery and meeting Tame Iti + a new poem

In February 2017 I traveled to Tāneatua Gallery with the Toi Wāhine Collective to exhibit some of my digital works and paintings. I also gave a spoken word poetry performance in the gallery - my first time doing anything like that. It was great to meet Tame Iti and Trina who run this awesome community based space. If you are ever in the area I highly recommend that you visit Tāneatua Gallery.

Here is a poem that I wrote in reflection AFTER my time at Tāneatua Gallery, which I then performed at Pātaka Museum + Art on Waitangi Day 2017.

Talking decolonisation
Talking no discrimination
Talking sovereignty
With Tame Iti
When I was his manuhiri
At the dope ass Tāneatua Gallery
Where it's all about the community
The community
Took a cruise down to the valley
In Ruatoki

Talking sovereignty
What does it mean to me?
It means the right to be free
It means possessing the key
To my own front door
Hey we deserve more
Time to get off the floor
And lift up the poor
We deserve more

When the Toi Wāhine Crew
Come though
Bringing the new
Yo we do the do
Coz talk is cheap
And whining is weak
Who got the guts to really speak
To the issue
Bullying psychophants hear me diss you
When I put on display
My art from the heart
I cause disarray
Nerves they will fray
And haters gon pay
Come what may
You heard me say!

It's an indigenous uprising
And it's not surprising
That when we come together
Coz we so very clever
Native nation to nation
In the spirit of collaboration
And innovation
Motivation
Lets save the nation
Oh the anticipation
Of this new proclamation

It's an indigenous evolution
Revolution
Around the world
Racist haters can get twirled
Like Beyonce said
When she killed them all dead
With her 'black lives matter'
Time to reduce the chatter
Call me a mad hatter
While the rich get fatter
Time to flip the script
Improve the derelict
Change negative into positive
Time to do that for our kids

Me and my neonatives we come quick
To the mark
Straight to the heart
Can't tear us apart
When we stand united
Can't be divided
Indigenous people around the world
We will be heard
Return of the bird
This is my word

Indigenous people we will be heard
Won't be deterred
A new paradigm
Is about to be birthed
Time for us to come first
Because oppression is the worst
In all of it's forms
Time to smash all of the norms
Don't ever ask me to conform
Make you wish you weren't born
We gonna rewrite all of those laws
That came from foreign shores
Get ya dirty paws
Off my art and culture
These fucken vultures

The dawn of a new era
Is getting clearer

Decolonise your mind
One thought at a time
 

One of my digital works in the exhibition.

A digital installation I made for this exhibition, with help from my friend Sian.

Two of my paintings in this exhibition.

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.

New York, New York! We're coming for you!

I am beyond excited about taking a selection of art works by the Toi Wāhine Collective to ORA NY GALLERY in NEW YORK CITY very soon! Included in the capsule collection will be original paperworks, open and limited edition art prints, contemporary taonga, jewelry and a film installation.

Special guest friends of the Toi Wāhine Collective will also be performing in the gallery space on both evenings. If you have friends and whānau in New York, please share this panui with them, and help us share some of our art with the world.

Thank you!