Matariki 2023: Āhuru Mōwai

Based on the wisdom and understanding of old, Āhuru Mōwai means nurturing human life from conception; the parent as first teacher, first heartbeat, first soul, first sound, and first scent. The womb provides this place of perfection, a sheltering haven, warmth and calm—all the essential elements required to sustain the beginning of life. This July, the gallery space will be transformed into a wharenui of contemporary art; whakairo artists Natanahira Te Pona, Uenuku Hawira and Adrian Mokonuiarangi join fibre artist and guest curator Louise Davis to form the structure of a whare, to be filled with rākau (plants) by rongoā kaiako Judy Henderson, painting by Tony Brown and prints by Ben Thomason, and woven kete by the Corban’s Weaving Circle, further encased in the notes of sound artist Murphy Wiperi.

You will see each artist in Āhuru Mōwai incorporate ancestral skills of old with their dreams of the future, providing a holistic experience for viewers through a foliage of scent, sight, sound, energy and life force. This immersive environment allows audiences to connect to their senses and Te Ao Māori, honouring Te Ao Wairua, the world of spirits, and Te Hurihuri, the changing world.

^{_{Presented with support from Te Puni Kōkiri and the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board.}}