Art students final exhibition Tumatakahuki

Setting up for their end-of-year exhibition are third-year Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts students. Back: Makuira Kairau, Danaan Beatson, Kalani Tikitiki-Houkamau. Front: Taylor Robson, Lateesha Lerm, Laura Kilmartin and Erana Palmer. Pictures by Liam Clayton

After three years of hard work students from Toihoukura Bachelor of Maori Visual Arts will be exhibiting their final artworks in a show at the Maia Gallery from 6pm tomorrow.

The show is called Tumatakahuki which symbolises connection. It is the binding stitch for tukutuku panels used to bind the horizontal and vertical kakaho together to form the basic structure of the panel and is a concept the students came up with at the start of the year.

“It refers to how connected we are as a class,” says art student Erana Palmer.

Each student’s work reflects their own kaupapa which they have developed over the course of the year.

Erana uses a lot of pink in her paintings and has combined an abstract style with Māori art to come up with her unique pieces.

Her work reflects a reconnection with her culture and is about self-identity.

Erana has applied to do honours next year and said it was a bittersweet moment for many of the students to be presenting their final artworks in the exhibition.

“It is a huge relief to finish our artworks and the degree, but also sad to be completing this part of our art journey at Toihoukura,” she says.

Another student Kalani Tikitiki-Houkamau who comes from Hicks Bay, has produced a number of large shields which relate to his connection to the ocean. He loves to work with wood which was a passion that started when he did whakairo/carving at Gisborne Boys’ High School. He has also learned ta moko while at Toihoukura and hopes to continue working in this field when he finishes at Toihoukura.

The show is open to the public with all art works available for sale.

Tumatakahuki starts on Friday at 6pm at Maia Gallery, 80 Cobden Street.