By Keanyn Arthur and Kauia Moriarty
Saturday 27 July
1 - 3pm
the gallery
free
Kōwhaiwhai Painting by Keanyn Arthur and Kauia Moriarty
Come into the gallery to see Keanyn Arthur (Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Maniapoto, Rangitāne o Wairau) and Kauia Moriarty (Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Koata) doing some live painting inspired by the painting practice - kōwhaiwhai. As part of the Aho Hononga exhibition, Keanyn and Kauia are showing recently developed works.
Artists Biographies:
Kauia Moriarty
Kauia Moriarty (Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Koata)
From a large creative whānau, Kauia is grateful to have grown up around the arts and in particular, has been inspired by Māori theatre. Kauia was born in Pōneke but grew up in Ōtepoti. She studied music at the University of Otago in her young adult years and lived and worked in Auckland, Korea and Ōtepoti before returning to her tūrangawaewae of Porirua and Wellington in 2021. Kauia has worked in various roles in Māori development, the arts, education and health and has painted on the side throughout her career to support and develop her creativity.
In recent years, Kauia has focused her art practice on learning about the traditional painting practices of kōwhaiwhai through the Toi Rangatira arts programme run by Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Toa. Her most recent works are inspired by the moana, changing tides and the movement of water. Kauia is currently being mentored by Vianney in Kōwhaiwhai painting and Tāmoko. She is part of a growing collective of artists who are contributing to the ongoing development of a visual language specific to Ngāti Toa Rangatira.
Keanyn Arthur (Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Maniapoto, Rangitāne o Wairau)
Keanyn grew up surrounded by whānau with many creative influences, including textiles, sewing, drawing and painting. Keanyn attended Māori Medium education until age 15 and then moved to Australia where she spent her late teenage years. When Keanyn returned home to Aotearoa she studied at the New Zealand Institute of Fashion Technology and completed a Diploma in Fashion, Design and Technology.
During her twenties, Keanyn’s main art practices were in portraiture and fashion technology. Over the past few years, this practice has expanded to include a focus on traditional Māori art forms - in particular in Kōwhaiwhai painting and Tāmoko. Keanyn has a keen eye for the language of Toi Māori, and is part of a growing syndicate of Ngāti Toa artists contributing to a visual language that is unique and specific to Ngāti Toa.
Aho Hononga
28 June - 9 August
Te Wharetoi o Toi Pōneke (Toi Pōneke Arts Centre) presents Aho Hononga: a six-week special exhibition to celebrate mana whenua ringatoi of Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
