DEPOT Artist
Timata Mata’u
Samoan, Māori
Timata is a Polynesian mahi toi artist based in Te Atatū North, with whakapapa to Samoa – Gautavai, Savai‘i, Taranaki / Ngāti Toa, and Ngāti Kahungunu through his early life in Hawke’s Bay. His practice is grounded in cultural reconnection, identity, and the revitalisation of traditional knowledge across the wider Polynesian world.
Working with wood, bone, stone, and harakeke, Mata’u brings together traditional mediums and contemporary expression. His work is primarily mahi toi, whakairo, and Polynesian‐inspired carving, drawing from ancestral forms, personal history, and the desire to honour the stories carried through material and method. In 2025, he received a Highly Commended Award at Lake House Arts, recognising his emerging voice and dedication to craft.
Mata’u’s creative journey began later in life. It was sparked by his daughter, who asked him to make a heru for her Kapa Haka group. A toki for his mother followed, and with encouragement from his fiancé, he committed to learning formal technique and methodology. Although he has been studying whakairo for less than a year, the practice has become a powerful pathway for him — a way to learn te reo Māori, understand tikanga, and reconnect with the cultural foundations he was separated from after moving overseas at a young age. Based out West Auckland, Mata’u continues to develop his craft with humility, curiosity, and deep cultural intention, creating works that honour his whakapapa and the interconnectedness of Polynesian identity.
