Ngā Kaihanga Uku
Ngā Kaihanga Uku is a New Zealand collective of Māori Clayworkers. They formed in 1986 during a Ngā Puna Waihanga (Māori Artists and Writers collective) gathering, under the leadership of Baye Riddell and Manos Nathan.[1] Founding members also include Paerau Corneal, Colleen Waata Urlich and Wi Taepa.[2]
Contemporary Māori clay artists
Ngā Kaihanga Uku was formed to support the growing use of clay within Māori-based art practices in the 1980s.[1] Although customary Māori society was not a ceramic culture, the intrinsic properties and physical relationship of clay being from the earth offered Māori clay artists a new avenue through which to portray Māori lives and knowledge. Hineahuone for example, who is considered to be the first human, was formed by clay at Kurawaka.[3] As Wi Taepa states, ‘Clay is more than an artistic material, it is a blood relative. Working with it requires an understanding of the genealogical links between humanity and Papatūānuku (earth).[1][4]
Selected exhibitions
- 2013-4 Uku Rere: Ngā Kaihanga Uku & beyond Pataka Art + Museum, Whangarei Art Museum: Te Manawa Toi, The Suter Art Gallery: Te Aratoi o Whakatu, Waikato Museum: Te Whare Taonga o Waikato, Tairawhiti Museum: Te Whare Taonga o te Tairawhiti, and Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science + History, Palmerston North.[5]
- 2003-5 Ngā Toko Rima Ngā Kaihanga Uku. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa; Tinakori Gallery, Wellington.[6]
- 1998 Uku! Uku! Uku! International Festival of the Arts, Wellington.[7]
- 1994 Kurawaka The Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt.[3]
Publications
- Kedgley, H. Nicholas, D. (2013) Uku Rere: Ngā Kaihanga Uku & Beyond. Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua City.
- Urlich, Colleen Waata. (2009) Nga Kaihanga Uku: National Collective of Māori Clayworkers Dargaville NZ.
References
- Kedgley, Helen; Nicholas, Darcy (2013). Uku Rere: Ngā Kaihanga uku & Beyond. Porirua City: Pataka Art + Museum.
- "Ngā Kaihanga Uku". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- Urlich, Colleen Waata (2009). Ngā Kaihanga Uku: National Collective of Māori Clayworkers. Dargaville: C. Urlich.
- "Papatūānuku - the land". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- "Uku Rere". Toi Māori. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
- Smith, Huhana; Solomon, Oriwa; Tamarapa, Awhina; Tamati-Quenell, Megan; Heke, Norm (2007). Taiawhio II: Contemporary Māori Artists 18 new conversations. Wellington: Te Papa Press. ISBN 9780909010096.
- McPherson, Heather; King, M; Evans, J; Nunn, M (1992). Spiral 7: a collection of lesbian art and writing from Aotearoa/New Zealand. Dunedin: Spiral. ISBN 0908896247.