Toi Māori is the foundation of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Our very first tauira trained in the disciplines of Whakairo, Raranga and Kōwhaiwhai. Under the guidance of master carvers, weavers and artists, they helped to build a beautiful marae with the skills they had developed.
2022 Toi exhibitions
Take in the creativity and excellence of toi Māori and see how the traditions and techniques of our ancestors are used to tell the stories of today. Featuring artwork from the students, graduates, and tutors of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
What is Toi Māori
Māori and indigenous art is experiencing a surge of interest worldwide. Many recognise and appreciate the connections and stories told of unique cultures, their people and of the land.
Our kaiako and tauira feel strongly connected to the visual language of their tūpuna, producing beautiful mahi toi that speak to their own time, their own places of belonging and the future of the artforms.
Toi exhibitions are an exciting opportunity for our tauira to showcase their artwork and for the public to see what is being created by up-and coming artists.
Some of our toi exhibitions provide you with the opportunity to buy artworks at a very reasonable price.
Success stories
From Kenya to Aotearoa - Toi and its many connections
24 January 2023Jennifer Dickerson, a self-proclaimed "Third Culture Kid" due to her unique upbringing around the world, has discovered who she is through art.
Wāhine Toi Māori ki Ōtepoti – Marewa Severne and Heramaahina Eketone
13 December 2022Marewa Severne embodies the very essence of what it means to be wāhine Māori. She brings this integrity and strength to her teaching, with a ready smile, positivity, and a willingness to elevate mātauranga Māori in her life and her work.
Exhibition on marae first for East Coast raranga tauira
06 December 2022A desire to share knowledge on marae up the coast resulted in the first exhibition at Rāhui Marae for Talei Teariki’s Level 4 and 5 Raranga tauira recently. Titled ‘Waiapu’, the exhibition featured weavers from Rangitukia, Ruatōrea, Waipiro, Tikitiki, Te Araroa, Hicks Bay and Te Karaka.
Kahu Collective
05 December 2022The seed of Kahu Collective was planted back in 2013, when Lisa Harding, Cathy Payne and Corabelle Summerton crossed paths with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa’s stall at the Womens Expo, showcasing our Toi programmes.
Toi Class Encourages Self-Discovery
22 August 2022Karen Nel ventured onto the Toi Maruata course in Porirua to explore indigenous arts in this part of the world and found out more about herself in the process.
Wendy-Lee pursues her passion
25 July 2022Wendy-Lee McKee-Warner’s love for art started at high school, where she spent all her time hanging out in the art room.
Connecting to tūpuna through raranga
13 July 2022When Raranga kaiako Laurette Madden-Morehu recieved a kete as a seven-year old at a whānau reunion, it ignited a lifelong curiosity of mahi raranga.
Architecture by day, toi Māori by night
07 July 2022Alex Heperi spends her days working as a senior architectural graduate, working in the architectural industry but by night she’s completing her studies towards the Maunga Kura Toi Bachelor of Māori Art degree at Te Wananga o Aotearoa.
Solo exhibition shows Jordyn’s on the right track
20 June 2022A single mum who dropped out of high school and never thought higher education was for her has not only completed a degree in Māori art but is now preparing for her first solo exhibition in Kirikiriroa.
Don’t focus on the little things, it’s better to look at the bigger picture
09 December 2021Cydne Price has a message for anyone studying Toi Māori: don’t focus on the little things, it’s better to look at the bigger picture.
Weaving the past, the present and the future through raranga
01 December 2021Maraea Peawini was eight years old when she sat intently watching her nanny weave a kete. That experience for Maraea (Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi, Pākehā) planted a seed to learn more about the intricate art of raranga (weaving).
Spreading Māori knowledge for teachers
22 November 2021Tauranga kindergarten teacher Toia Palmer plans to use her own teaching experiences and qualifications gained at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa to support other early childhood teachers to grow their understanding and application of kaupapa Māori.
Mātauranga is the gift that keeps on giving
15 June 2021Erin says she always held a longing for Toi-Māori – and a fascination for the art of raranga (weaving) - and the amazing things that could be made from harakeke (flax) and the refined, silky product within it, muka.
From curtains, clothing and costumes comes creativity
8 March 2021Nephi Tupaea won the Supreme Award for costume design at Auckland’s Pasifika Festival in the early 90s and is now back in Heretaunga studying towards a Diploma in Indigenous and Māori Art at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Weaving communities together through raranga
14 April 2021Talei (Te Whānau a Takimoana) is immersed in her Ngāti Porou roots where she teaches raranga (Certificate in Māori and Indigenous Art) through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.