Celebrating Matariki at Te Papa this 19th July 2020

Looking forward to joining an awesome group of artists that will be sharing their art forms together at Te Papa Tongarewa National Museum of New Zealand this Matariki on 19th July from 11AM - 3PM.

I will be demonstrating taa moko and will also have some of my original paintings on display.

Hope to see you there if you’re around Wellington!

A recent moko completed at my new private studio in Ōtaki, Wellington.

A recently completed original painting titled ‘Hei te pō, hei te ao’ currently showing at Toi Matarau Gallery at the Māoriland Hub in Ōtaki.

A recently completed original painting titled ‘He kororia ki te atua’ currently showing at Toi Matarau Gallery at the Māoriland Hub in Ōtaki.

'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.

Tattooing at A.R.T Matariki Art Market this June 17th at Ngā Purapura in Ōtaki

I am thrilled to have been invited to share my art at the upcoming Ātiawa.Raukawa.Toa Matariki Art Market that is happening at the beautiful Ngā Purapura complex in Ōtaki.

I will also have some paintings, prints, hats, clothing and art merchandise there for sale too. 

See you there!

Mauriora,
Taryn

Reflecting on the opening of my solo exhibition 'Purapura Whetū' in Perth, Western Australia

'Call on them and they shall appear'.

I have books coming out soon!

Live taonga pūoro at the opening night created a wonderful ambience.

Big thanks to everyone that came along to the opening night at The Sound Temple!

'Hiwa i te rangi, your hearts desire'.

'Our ancestors watch over us'.

It was a great feeling finally have my first solo show after all these years of being a working artist!

Big thanks to The Sound Temple for hosting the exhibition.

'The people of the rainbow gather'. SOLD.

'Celestial Connections' SOLD and 'Star Seeds' on the right.

I love doing large scale paintings! The more I do, the more I want to do!

Spoken word poetry performance at the opening night, with taonga pūoro accompaniment by Jerome Kavanagh.

'The many radiant descendants'.

Giving an artist talk on all the paintings and the concept for the exhibition. 

'Tuatea' exhibition opening at Toi Wāhine HQ in Porirua, Wellington

I was thrilled to organize this exhibition alongside the Toi Wāhine Collective at 10 Hartham Place, Porirua, Wellington. Check out our group website here for more info about who we are and what we do. I had three original paintings in this show and it was a privilege to exhibit alongside the following artists:

Robyn Kahukiwa (Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga a Hauiti)

Kohai Grace (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Porou)

Elaine Bevan (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Toa)

Julie Paama-Pengally (Tauranga Moana)

Evelyn Ross (Ngai Tuhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu)

Hayley Galo (Ngāti Toa) 

Kaea Graham (Tūwharetoa, Te Rarawa, Taranaki)

Regan Balzer (Te Arawa, Ngāti Ranginui)

Vianney Parata (Ngāti Toa)

Aria Whaanga (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rakaipaaka) 

Natasha Keating (Tūwharetoa, Ngaio Tuhoe, Te Ati Hau a Paparangi)

Pikihuia Haenga (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Porou)

Sian Montgomery-Neutze (Muaūpoko, Ngai Tara)

Briar Allen (Muaūpoko, Ngaio Tara)

Taryn Beri (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa, Te Ātiawa)

Keri-Mei Zagrobelna (Te Whanau a Apanui, Te Ātiawa)

Miriama Grace-Smith (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Porou)

Rangimarie Sophie Jolley (Waikato - Tainui)

Xoe Hall (Kai Tahu)

Stevei Houkamau (Ngāti Porou, Rangitāne, Te Whānau a Apanui)

Kui Topia (Ngapuhi)

Paretapu Penetito-Waru (Te Rarawa, Te Aupouri, Ngāti Hauā)

Lydia Wihapi (Ngāti Maniapoto)

Maakarita Paku (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu, Muriwhenua, Lakota Oyate)

Jo Haenga (Ngāti Porou)

This exhibition opened on 23rd June 2016 and will run for six weeks.

Toi Wāhine presents a Matariki exhibition featuring 25 Wahine Māori artists from the Porirua / Wellington area and beyond!

Nau mai haere mai ki te tautoko tenei kaupapa!

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!

Come along to the opening of 'He Toi Reikorangi - Te Ātiawa artists celebrate Matariki' this Friday in Waikanae on the Kapiti Coast

I am thrilled to be a part of this kaupapa alongside some of my favorite Māori artists. Come along to the exhibition opening this Friday at 4pm, Mahara Gallery. Hope to see you there!

Mauriora,
Taryn

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.