concre[ā]te
May 11 @ 10:00 am – June 22 @ 4:00 pm
concre[ā]te
Tui Hirabayashi and Marie Hemo Titi Mapa
11 May – 22 June 2024
Opening: Saturday 11 May, 2-4pm
Image Credit: FOR SALE (Our Policy: NZ’s Lowest), Marie Hemo Titi Mapa, 2023
concre[ā]te is an exhibition showcasing large scale mixed-media artwork crafted by the artist-duo 2 PARU, made up of Tui Kayoko Hirabayashi and Marie Hemo Titi Mapa. Both artists draw inspiration from the ever-evolving cityscape of Tāmaki Makarau, Auckland.
About the Artists
2 PARU
Tui and Marie met at Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design and completed their BFA in 2023. Having worked together as Te Tāhū Hauora creative leads, their collective name 2 PARU incorporates the Māori words tū and paru meaning to stand strong and dirty, but mostly it refers to them as a couple of messy painters.
Tui Hirabayashi
Tui is an artist of Japanese, Te Rarawa, Te Aupouri and Pākehā descent. She is interested in a range of art practices. Her work often blurs the lines between painting and sculpture, combining materials and objects that are not traditionally associated with painting.
Marie Hemo Titi Mapa
Marie whakapapa to Ngāti Te Rino, Ngāti Hine and Hihifo, Niuatoputapu. Being a “native Aucklander”, her practice centres around young urban Māori-Pasifika perspective, connecting and expanding on socio-political, cultural and artistic nuances.
