Lecture Series: Māori Art Through the Lens of Te Ao Māori
We are excited to announce Julie Paama-Pengell's four-part lecture series, Māori Art Through the Lens of Te Ao Māori, on Wednesdays, 5–26 Aug 2026, 5.30–7pm.
This series explores the vitality of Ngā Toi Māori, using Julie Paama-Pengelly’s book Māori Art and Design (2010) as the foundation for examining the essential legacies of Māori creative practice. Māori art is framed as a dynamic, unbroken – though often shaken – lineage of values that persists through a changing, frequently challenging environment.
In these lectures, we will explore how the artist’s hand ensures that customary practices evolve to embrace new possibilities while remaining a living embodiment of cultural authority – an uncompromising assertion of a core identity that empowers Māori to represent themselves as they see themselves, as Māori.
What to expect:
Mā te kete, ka puāwai te iwi
Through the weaving, the people flourish
This session explores the practice of raranga Māori as a continuous whakapapa of practices and values. We trace how contemporary artists embody weaving to address broader concerns - from the health of the ecosystem to the strength of the community – a continuous lineage remains the vital pulse of environmental, feminine and cultural sovereignty.
He moko tangata, he moko nō te whenua
The markings of the people are those of the land
This session explores pigment as a potent connector to Māori earthly origins. We trace the customary use of ochre from the coded stories of kōwhaiwhai into contemporary symbolic expressions that speak to knowledge and spirituality. The whakapapa of painting has found strength through subtlety and diversity – from wood to canvas - to be reclaimed as permanent personal marks of dignity on skin.
He toi whakairo, he mana tangata
Where there is artistic excellence, there is human dignity
This session explores the gathering of precious raw materials – pounamu, bone, wood and new materials – and their transformation into ancestral vessels of profound power. Through the chisel, the inherent power of the material is released, binding the holder to a lineage of protection. These objects serve as tactile anchors of history and the power of knowledge, allowing the bearer to carry their prestige, presence, and protection as a living embodiment of their whakapapa.
He kura kāinga e hokia
A treasured home to return to
This session explores Māori architecture as a cosmological blueprint – a complex template that records and dictates the flow of whakapapa, stories and belonging. From waka and wharenui that choreograph movement and engagement, to digital and spatial scripts, Ngā Toi Māori is a form of cultural mapping that thrives even beyond the physical walls of a structure.