Matariki Hunga Nui - Matariki Brings Us Together

This exhibition "Matariki Hunga Nui" will showcase works from artists of the Iwi Toi Kahungunu Artist Collective; it is a time for us to come together and acknowledge and celebrate Matariki.

Matariki is the Māori name for a cluster of stars which is visible in our night sky at a specific time of the year. In 2019, from 25 to 28 June, Matariki will re-appear in the dawn sky – signalling the start of the Māori New Year.

It is a time to celebrate new life, to remember those who’ve passed and to plan for the future. And it’s a time to spend with whānau and friends – to enjoy kai (food), waiata (song), tākaro (games) and haka. Our tūpuna (ancestors) would look to Matariki for help with their harvesting.

When Matariki disappeared in April/May, it was time to preserve crops for the winter season. When it re-appeared in June/July, tūpuna would read the stars to predict the upcoming season – clear and bright stars promised a warm and abundant winter while hazy stars warned of a bleak winter.