Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award touring exhibition on show at Whanganui Regional Museum

Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award 2021 winner Nana by Bodie Friend from Waikato is among works on show at Whanganui Regional Museum. Photo / Supplied

Award-winning portraits by emerging Māori artists are now on show at the Whanganui Regional Museum.

The touring exhibition of the Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award features 36 original portraits created in any chosen visual medium by emerging Māori artists. The show is on loan from the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata which launched the award in August 2020 in partnership with Te Tari o Te Kiingitanga – The Office of the Kiingitanga.

Around 80 people attended the exhibition opening on Tuesday, with a formal ceremony at the museum. Special guests included representatives from Tthe Office of the Kiingitanga, Parliament’s Speaker Adrian Rurawhe and Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe.

Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award judge Graham Hoete (aka “Mr G”) said the award was a huge opportunity for a lot of young Māori artists to tell their indigenous stories through portraiture.

“Sometimes Māori can feel a bit intimated in the arts space, so this is another way of providing an avenue for young artists to feel comfortable and tell their story the way they want to tell it.”

Museum senior curator Libby Sharpe said when earthquake strengthening was done to the museum building, the Samuel Drew Gallery was built specifically to accommodate touring shows.

“The Drew Gallery offers good security, lighting and environmental controls to protect the works. It’s a great space.”

Whanganui Museum director Dr Bronwyn Labrum said hosting the show was part of her “strategy of bringing the best from around the country to Whanganui”.

“This beautiful exhibition does just that.”

A schedule of public programmes, including cultural workshops, guided tours and school holiday programme activities, will support the exhibition.

The 2021 winning portrait - Nana by Bodie Friend from Waikato - is a black and white photograph of his great-uncle Pat Kingi or, as he’s more affectionately known, Nana Pat.

Friend said the portrait was taken the weekend before his great-uncle’s 88th birthday.

“Pat Kingi is kaumātua at our marae, Horahora Marae in Rangiriri. This portrait was taken at my auntie’s whare after lunch (boil up) and discussing whakapapa. Even at his age, he still works hard at the marae like mowing lawns, painting fences and weeding gardens.”

Friend said entering the Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award had given him the opportunity to connect with whānau and explore his whakapapa.

“To be honest, I am so humbled to be recognised in this way, it seems so unbelievably surreal.

“Our people are so creative and talented, initiatives like this will help to inspire and encourage others to create and share just as it has done for me.”

Entries for this year’s Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award close on March 23, with the winner receiving a cash prize of $20,000.

The runner-up and people’s choice awards are worth $2500 each.

Entry is open to any emerging Māori artists, but entrants must have a whakapapa connection to the tupuna (ancestors) depicted in the work.

An information pack on how to enter the competition can be downloaded from nzportraitgallery.org.nz/kiingituheitiaaward.

Entry is free for the public to the Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award exhibition which will be on show at the Whanganui Regional Museum until June 4.