A delegation of Māori and New Zealand contemporary Pasifika artists will represent Aotearoa at the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture in Hawai’i in June 2020.
New Zealand is one of 28 nations attending. The Māori Committee of the Arts Council of Creative New Zealand selected the representatives. ‘We’re extremely pleased with the quality and range of emerging and established artists, selected from a deep, rich pool of applicants,’ said Dean Whiting, co-head of the delegation and Chair of the Māori Committee.
In total, 27 projects representing 65 artists were selected and CNZ awarded $125,241 to support these projects. The artforms range from customary Māori arts such as uku (clay artistry), taonga pūoro (traditional Māori musical instruments), tā moko (Māori tattoo), weaving and whakairo (carving), through to contemporary arts including dance, music, visual arts, moving image and sculpture, poetry and theatre. The projects also include kaupapa waka (waka knowledge, including navigation) and representatives of Ngā Tūmanako, the 2019 winners of national kapa haka competition Te Matatini.
The festival happens every four years and New Zealand has attended since 1972.
Nikau Hindin (Visual arts delegate), 'Arorangi', 2018, photo by the artist.
Te Atiwei Ririnui (Traditional weaving delegate), 'Poutama kete', photo by Charlotte Faith Johnston
Baye Riddell (Ngā Kaihunga Uku delegate), 'Kaitiaki', photo by Norman Heke.