This October and November, our toi tauira from around the motu are showcasing their mahi toi. These free exhibitions held on our campuses or in the community highlight what tauira have been working on in their programme to whānau, friends, and the public.
At Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, tauira can study different toi pathways, from a level 3 certificate right up to a bachelor’s degree. Toi disciplines include ngā mahi a te whare pora/raranga (weaving), toi ataata/rauangi (visual art), mau rākau, Māori performing arts, and whakairo (carving).
Upcoming 2024 exhibitions include:
| Location | Address | Dates | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heretaunga | Hastings | Arts Inc. Heretaunga Gallery, Russell St | 29 October – 22 November | Rauangi |
| Ngāmotu | New Plymouth | 11 Gill St, Shop 10 | 30 October – 10 November | Raranga |
| Ōtautahi | Christchurch | Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, 826 Colombo St | 2 – 9 November | Raranga |
| Heretaunga | Hastings | Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, 705 Heretaunga St West | 2 – 11 November 23 November |
Raranga Rauangi |
| Rotorua | Rotorua Library, 1127 Haupapa St | 4 – 16 November | Raranga |
| Papaioea | Palmerston North | Square Edge Arts Centre – 47 the Square | 4 – 30 November | Raranga |
| Tauranga | Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, 180 17th Ave | 5 – 7 November 10 – 14 November |
Raranga Rauangi |
| Gisborne | Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, 630 Childers Rd | 7 – 20 November | Raranga, Rauangi, Whakairo |
| Kirikiriroa | Hamilton | Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, 510 Te Rapa Rd | 11 – 15 November | Raranga, Rauangi |
| Te Awamutu | Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, 320 Factory Rd | 25 – 29 November | Raranga, Whakairo |
| Waiharakeke | Blenheim | Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, 120 Aerodrome Rd | 30 November | Raranga |
Raranga level 5 Toi Paematua graduate Toni-Lee Wharewera (Ngāti Awa, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Rangitihi) displayed her mahi toi at a recent Whakatāne exhibition.
Her final piece is a whāriki with colours reflecting her Māori, Celtic and Nordish heritage. The top and bottom of the whāriki represent Ranginui and Papatūānuku and their connectedness.
Toni-Lee used to believe she wasn’t gifted with creativity, but undertaking raranga changed that perspective.
“My sisters were the creative ones, I didn’t think I was, yet here I am being creative. It has been surreal. My creativity has exposed itself,” she says.
As a mum to 4 tamariki, Toni-Lee decided to try raranga as a way to do something for herself, but also to contribute to her community.
Since learning raranga, she has found her whānau and hapū are now reaching out to her for mahi raranga support. She has helped create whāriki for waka tūpāpaku for tangihanga and has been working with a cousin to extract muka for creating harakeke paper.
Kairuruku (Programme Manager) Emma West says the end of year exhibitions are a culmination of months of commitment from both tauira and kaiako.
“I love attending these exhibitions as they highlight the calibre of mahi toi from our tauira at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. It’s always inspiring to see their journey, and how they express their creativity, which helps them connect to their whakapapa.”
Find out more about our Toi Māori (Arts) programmes.
