Toi o Taranaki ki te Tonga – Mounga
Image: Pohutukawa Tarapouahi (detail) by Kim Kahu (Ngā Ruahine) NFS

Exhibition Date: 
9 April – 21 May 2021

 

Featured Artists:

Bonita Bigham (Ngāruahine, Te Ātiawa), Mako Jones (Ngāti Pahauwera), Kim Kahu (Ngā Ruahine), Monica Wilson (Tainui, Ngāti Maniapoto), Rangi Kipa (Te Ātiawa), Barry Te Whatu (Taranaki Tuuturu, Ngāpuhi), Haoro Honde-Goffe, Keiron Toa (Te Ātiawa), Te Rangi Martell, Maria Brockhill (Te Ātiawa), Sam Farquhar (Te Ātiawa), Jordan Quinnell (Ngā Ruahinerangi, Taranaki, Ngāti Tuwharetoa), Lara Ruakere (Ngāruahine), Luther Ashford (Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi/Ngāti Ruanui)

Mounga – Taranaki dialect for Maunga – mountain

 

Mounga – according to the Williams dictionary, anything excellent, treasure

 

The title of this exhibition has been chosen to recognise the physical beauty and geographic presence of the mountain, Taranaki, in the lives of the artists living around him, and by inference, the inspiration from the mountain’s spiritual influence the artists receive to create works of excellence.

 

Formed in 2019 the collective Toi o Taranaki ki te Tonga present a selection of contemporary works that include fibre works sourced from traditional forms, digitally constructed prints as social commentary today, and narrative photographic essays.

 

Gabrielle Belz