Mua Ki Muri

Pataka Museum and Art Gallery presents Mua ki Muri, a new group exhibition, on display from 7th October 2009 - 7th February 2010.

Mua ki Muri/ Intergenerational Creativity showcases the work of six of New Zealand's leading contemporary Maori artists – Bob Jahnke, Shane Cotton, Kura Te Waru Rewiri, Ngataiharuru Taepa, Rachael Rakena and Israel Birch - all connected by teaching roles at Te Putahi-a-Toi, the School of Māori Studies at Massey University.

Working alongside each other, the six artists have created a strong, intergenerational artistic community - diverse in whakapapa and art practice and informed by both the local and the global. These artists, and Te Putahi-aToi, have become an influential force in New Zealand's artistic life.

The exhibition illuminates the strength of contemporary Māori art. The six artists are conscious of participating in – and contributing to - the continuum of Maori art.

Central to Māori culture is the idea of lineage or whakapapa – the passing of knowledge, expertise and values from one generation to another. Mentorship and manakitanga is seen as a fundamental responsibility.

Te Putahi-a-Toi, through these artists, has indigenised the practice of teaching contemporary art, imbuing it with a commitment to Māori culture and Te Reo - enabling a modern and evolving expression of indigenous concepts.