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Raranga Workshop with Tony Pecotic
July 18 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Saturday 18 July, 10 am – 12 pm
28 Clarence Street, Devonport
As part of our Matariki 2026 celebrations join us for the Raranga Workshop with Tony Pecotic.
Weave with harakeke (flax) and create your own tipare (headband), whiri (plait) and whetu (stars).
A relaxed, beginner-friendly wānanga grounded in tikanga (customs) and hands-on making.
This Workshop is suitable for ages 10+
About Tony Pecotic
Anthony Ante Pecotic Vidilo
Tainui Ngati Paoa, Ngati Raukawa / Te Arawa Ngati Whakaue, Ngati Pikiao, Croatian, English & Dain heritage
Tony is a multidisciplinary artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. His work draws deeply on his Māori heritage while weaving in perspectives from his wider cultural background. Anthony has exhibited in Aotearoa including the Aotea Centre (Auckland), and internationally, New Zealand House (London), and Brixton Art Gallery (South London).
He has also undertaken residencies abroad — in Chiba, Japan, where he painted large-scale murals sharing Māori values and culture, and in Basauri, Spain, where he created a whare nui to connect audiences with Māori history and culture. Over the past six years, Anthony has expanded his practice beyond painting to experiment with harakeke, tī kōuka leaves and carving in wood and bone.
His art reflects a balance between tradition and innovation, storytelling and material exploration. Being involved with The Lake House Art Collective Takapuna Anthony has been learning from the vast knowledge and experience that Natanahira brings as a traditional Māori carver/ artist and mentor. Through his work, Anthony seeks to create with sensitivity and purpose, expressing identity, resilience, and connection across cultures for those who have gone before and those yet to come.
@anthonypecotic
About Puanga – Matariki 2026: Te Waka o Rangi
Pūanga–Matariki explores the rich kōrero shared across the Pacific Rim about our celestial whānau and the many ways different cultures understand these majestic stars. Though our stories vary, they all remind us of the same truth: the heavens hold the memories of our past, the lessons of our present, and the hopes we carry into the future.
This exhibition honours those who have passed, acknowledging the wisdom they leave behind and the responsibility we hold to carry their teachings forward. By looking to Pūanga, Matariki, and the wider cosmos, we are reminded of our deep relationship with the natural world. The guidance of our ancestors’ shapes how we walk upon the earth, how we care for our environment, and how we nurture the generations yet to come.
See the exhibition catalogue, workshops and taonga available to purchase here.
