Gallery part of Tuhoe growth

Te Marunui Hotene is the current artist in residence at Taneatua's new art gallery. RGP 30Apr15 - Exhibiting artist Te Marunui Hotene. RGP 30Apr15 - ARTIST: Te Marunui Hotene is the current ar

Tame Iti has created a space to encourage conversation.

Throughout his years as an artist, activist, performer, Iron Maori and political candidate, Tame has always lived Tuhoe, so it comes as no surprise this space sits just off the main road through Taneatua.

To some, Taneatua's new Community Art Gallery may be nothing more than a run-down old villa tucked behind a store, but there's something that beckons you to the place. It could be because Tame is sitting on the porch welcoming people in, or the oddity of a bright orange rectangle of paint at the front door with the word 'chur' written within.

Past the door and on the walls are works from Te Marunui Hotene as part of his Chur exhibition, the second exhibition of the Taneatua Community Art Gallery.

Chur, according to Te Marunui (a former Trident High School student), is a common colloquial term in New Zealand. Its meaning remains ambiguous, although it can be a form of greeting.

In his fifth and honours year of an arts degree, Te Marunui says he held his first exhibition in Hamilton last year and has had a pretty full schedule since.

"Since before the exhibition opened on April 16, I've been working at the Taneatua Gallery and also travelling back and forth to Hamilton for my studies." He said "art" left on the walls of the gallery by local youngsters when the house sat empty for a spell sat alongside, above and underneath his work but mixed well with the themes and narratives he wanted to discuss with Chur.

"What's more ruthless is these youngsters used words that I didn't have the guts to use."

Te Marunui's works are bold and colourful, lit by natural light that comes in through the windows and through the holes in the walls. There are no seats except for one green plastic chair, and recent rain has left puddles on the floor.

"But it's what I wanted," Tame said. "This is a place within Tuhoe where artists, whether they sculpt, paint, photograph or moko, can exhibit, converse and share."

The house was once owned by the Wilson whanau of Ruatoki but was recently bought by a Taneatua local who approached Tame about using it for an art gallery.

Following the Chur exhibition that concludes on May 7, Tame has two international photographers lined up for the next two exhibitions. The gallery is booked well into 2016.

"In October, we'll be holding an exhibition and art sale to commemorate the 2007 police raids. I'm hoping all the artists who supported me and raised funds during my court of appeal will provide work for the exhibition. Works will be on display for two weeks before an auction is held."

Funds raised will be used to upgrade the gallery, although he has no intention of making it new. "The gallery lets an artist create a distraction with their work instead of spectators looking at the holes. When we came into the house, we thought we would go with it in its current form and let the words and poetry left by our youngsters, and the wear and tear of life, remain."

He said the gallery, as part of Te Uru Taumatua, was part of the new growth of the Tuhoe nation and Ngai Tuhoe.