New exhibitions coming to Te Manawa in Palmerston North

Nga Hau Ngakau, with painting by Robin Slow and carving by Brian Flintoff. Photo / John Paul Pochin

Autumn is the season of renewal at Te Manawa Art Gallery. As leaves outside turn yellow and fall, our exhibition spaces are blooming with new and exciting artworks.

On May 14, we open Ngā Hau Ngākau, an exhibition of paintings, sculpture and music that explores the narratives of te ao Māori.

Painter Robin Slow has created dozens of intricate and highly detailed paintings that use a bird motif to show characters and elements from Māori mythology. They're complemented by taonga pūoro of bone, wood and shell by master carver Brian Flintoff, each one designed to sound like a different bird.

Musician Bob Bickerton ties these themes together with waiata and otherworldly soundscapes. This cross-media approach means there'll be something new to see, some new connection to be made, every time you step into the gallery.

Edith and George: in our sea of islands opens on May 28 and features portraiture by two New Zealand photographers separated by more than 100 years.

At the beginning of the 20th century, George Crummer travelled to Cook Islands and photographed its residents; contemporary photographer Edith Amituanai has juxtaposed these images with her own portraiture of youth in West Auckland. By comparing and contrasting these two worlds, she creates a conversation about migration, colonisation, identity and cultural exchange across the Pacific.

Coming from South America, The Inỹ People of Central Brazil is a collaboration between Te Manawa, Massey University and the Museu do Indio in Rio de Janeiro. It's an insight into how indigenous people in a small area have preserved their unique heritage, in particular through the rituals that balance and preserve their way of life. Central to the exhibition are unique, ceramic figures called ritxoko. These are made by Inỹ artists who proudly use their art form to maintain their tribe's cultural traditions.

The exhibition opens on June 4 and all the featured bespoke, handcrafted artefacts are for sale.

• The Art Gallery is open daily 10am-5pm. All these exhibitions will have free entry.