Koanga (Spring) - The Season for Planting
Vicky Lee Hipora Stark (1962-)
Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngai Tuhoe
Harakeke (New Zealand flax)
64 x 14 x 9" (on stand)
kx30606

A container for seeds which represents a time capsule of what meets and joins - two paths running one into the other.

Raranga Pari Hapu - Woven Bodice
Vicky Lee Hipora Stark (1962-)
Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngai Tuhoe
Harakeke (New Zealand flax), framework in Korari (stalks of flax)
60 x 17 x 8" (on stand)
kx30607

Over the years I have been weaving forms of women in their many guises. This piece is woven to represent the hapu (pregnant form). It is celebrating women, birth, and life cycles.

Kehua - Ghost
Darcy Nicholas (1946-)
Kahui Maunga and the tribes of Taranaki and Tauranga Moana areas
Acrylic on macrocarpa (with stand)
19.5 x 11.5 x 4"
kx30637

When we were children playing outside at night, the only way our parents could get us inside the house was to warn us that the kehua would get us. I would run so fast that my feet would not touch the ground. I have never seen one before, never been harmed by one, but it has always haunted me. So I created the kehua and as it's creator, he is my child. This is the very first one and I will now do a series.

Sea Spirit
Darcy Nicholas (1946-)
Kahui Maunga and the tribes of Taranaki and Tauranga Moana areas
Acrylic on macrocarpa (with stand)
17 x 8 x 8"
kx30635

This koruru was created as part of a series. My people have a great history of ocean navigation using the flight of birds, seasonal winds, the stars, the currents and the changing patterns of the sea and sky. The sea spirits live in the upper heavens and visit earth on the rainbow.

Tumatauenga
Darcy Nicholas (1946-)
Kahui Maunga and the tribes of Taranaki and Tauranga Moana areas
Acrylic on macrocarpa (with stand)
21.5 x 11 x 4"
kx30636

Tumatauenga is a warrior who is fearless. He survives all battles, no matter how intense; he combines the power of the earth and sky and is indestructible. His spirit lives within the strong at heart and he comes to the aid of the weak calling for him.

These are really called "Koruru", rather than masks worn by people. They are the faces of the ancestral houses and carry the history of the people who live within it. All of these are the first of their series and intended to be guardians of houses in which they live.

Te Tairawhiti - East Coast
Steve Gibbs (1955-)
Ngai Tamanuhiri, Ngati Kahungunu
Acrylic / sand on MDF board
41 x 80 x 1"
kx30647

The image depicts mangopare (hammerhead shark) referring to wananga (Maori place of learning), within the in-flight form of the ruru (owl).

Mangoroa - Milky Way
Steve Gibbs (1955-)
Ngai Tamanuhiri, Ngati Kahungunu
Acrylic / sand on MDF board
41 x 80 x 1"
kx30648

This image depicts mangoroa (white pointer shark) referring to the star constellation, Milky Way, within the in-flight form of the kaahu (hawk).

Kaperua is a visual mnemonic that represents a cavity-safe space in which sacred things can be stored, nurtured and protected.

These works are a synthesis of various elements important to the artist. They reference issues that exist currently and are reflected by using images of birds in flight. The birds are kaitiaki (spiritual guardians). The compositions include the artist's personal references, mokomoko (lizard) - a kaitiaki referencing the deeds of Maui, atua (the gods) representing fear, respect and protection, and Tamanui-te-Ra (the Sun) with its array of powers.

The images allude to the waka (canoe), acknowledging the strong connection to Tangaroa (God of the Ocean), as waka serve as vessels to carry hopes, dreams and aspirations.

Whakapakoko IV (Guardian Figure)
Manos Nathan (1948-)
Te Roroa, Ngati Whatua, Nga Puhi
Clay
52 x 16 x 13"
kx30611

With the Nga Kaitiaki series of works, I am exploring in the ceramic medium, the sculptural potential of the waka ko iwi (funerary chests) which are the unique and potent wood carvings of the northern tribes of Aotearoa.  I am inspired and excited by the awesome vitality and authority of this ancient form, created by my ancestors in pre-contact times.

The underlying theme of this body of works is kaitiakitanga (guardianship), a reflection on both its role in the past and its relevance in the present day.

Whakapakoko Tutei I and II (Sentinel Figures)
Manos Nathan (1948-)
Te Roroa, Ngati Whatua, Nga Puhi
Clay
Female: 18.5 x 14 x 13.5" Male: 14 x 19 x 14.5"
kx30610

These works have their origins in the customary carved figurative forms that surrounded the defensive pa (fortified village), the simple pallisade pou (posts), and the pou whenua (boundary markers). There are references to the waka taua (war canoe) with the forward facing figure of the classical tauihu (canoe prow) and the keel line of the waka ko iwi (funerary chests).

The male figure features a mokomoko (lizard) - a tribal kaitiaki (guardian / protector and messenger). A departure from the customary woodcarvings is in the stance of these works. Clay has allowed me to explore subtle nuances of gesture and tension in the twist of the torso, tilt of the shoulders, and the position of the head, to suggest alertness. I see these works as a natural extension of the larger sculptural figures that I  have been working on in recent years.

Ipu (Vessel)
Colleen Waata Urlich (1939-)
Te Popoto, Nga Puhi, Ngati Whatua
Clay
24.5 x 8 x 8"
kx30615

Inspired by the ancient 3,500 - 4,000 year old patterns of the Lapita ceramic tradition of the Pacific. The ancient motifs have been adapted over thousands of years by descendant cultures into unique statements that now reflect the diverse Polynesian cultures evolved from those ancient peoples. The patterns on the vessels trace a visual pattern-path across the Pacific, from Indonesia, to Hawaii in the east, and to New Zealand - Aotearoa, in the south.

He Moko Mo Te Ika - Tattooed Fish
Colleen Waata Urlich (1939-)
Te Popoto, Nga Puhi, Ngati Whatua
Clay, oxides
19.5 x 8 x 6"
kx30644

Patterning on the abstracted fish shape was inspired by patterns found on ancient Lapita vessels in the Pacific. Adapted Lapita patterns continue to be used by the Lapita Polynesian descendants, including the Maori of New Zealand. The adapted motifs are particularly associated with the fibre arts of Polynesian women and with ta moko or tattau (tattoo).

Te Kupenga O Kiwa - Kiwa's Net
Colleen Waata Urlich (1939-)
Te Popoto, Nga Puhi, Ngati Whatua
Clay, oxides
23.5 x 8.5 x 8.5"
kx30642

The patterns used reflect the Polynesian origin of Maori and their links back to ancients known as the Lapita peoples. The kupenga (net pattern) at the top of the vessel refers to the woven net of genealogy that links all Polynesian peoples and to the currents, cross currents and tides of the Pacific that were known and used by those ancient master mariners of the Pacific.

Ipu (Vessel)
Manos Nathan (1948-)
Te Roroa, Ngati Whatua, Nga Puhi
Clay, oxides
27.5 x 8 x 8"
k30502

Tangaroa Whakamau Tai is the Maori deity of the ocean realms, regulator of the tides and currents.  One of a new series of vessels celebrating Te Moana Nui a Kiwa (the Pacific Ocean), which connects the shores of Aotearoa and Vancouver, Canada. A celebration of the connecting of the peoples of Kiwa.

Guardians
Darcy Nicholas (1946-)
Kahui Maunga and the tribes of Taranaki and Tauranga Moana areas
Acrylic on canvas (framed)
39 x 31.5"
kx30630

They come from a time where there was no time, from a place where there is no place - my creators, are part of me and I am part of them.

We walk parallel lines with our ancestors. Their knowledge and wisdom guides me in an ever changing world, yet at the same time the richness of native cultures around the world lets me know that we were never alone. As creative artists, those ancestors give us a third and fourth eye that open up limitless possibilities of creativity.

Daughter of the Morning Sun
Darcy Nicholas (1946-)
Kahui Maunga and the tribes of Taranaki and Tauranga Moana areas
Acrylic on canvas (framed)
48 x 36"
kx30628

Her name is Hineahuone, created from the sunlight and the earth; she grew out of the land to become the mother of all living things.

Mangapare Pendant (incl. chain)
Alex Nathan (1946-)
Te Roroa, Ngati Whatua, Nga Puhi
Silver
Width: 1.5 x 1.5"
kx30656

The pattern 'mangopare' (hammerhead shark) is one of a number used in kowhaiwhai (painted scroll work), often applied to the heke (rafters) of the whare whakairo (carved meeting house). The design symbolizes strength and tenacity, qualities that these animals exhibit, even in their death throes.

Heru - Ornamental Comb
Alex Nathan (1946-)
Te Roroa, Ngati Whatua, Nga Puhi
Silver (with base)
6 x 1"
k11001

Heru traditionally were worn only by men of high rank and were a symbol of mana (status and prestige). However, women nowadays wear this form of body adornment ornament more than men, due to the fact that men generally do not wear their hair long and do not have the 'top knot' in which to place the comb.

The design of this heru is based in the traditional carved forms and style of my iwi (tribe). This is the second heru that I have made, the first being for my niece on her wedding.

Nga Ngaru - Waves Bracelet
Alex Nathan (1946-)
Te Roroa, Ngati Whatua, Nga Puhi
Silver
Width: 0.5 x 6.5"
kx30660

The 'manawa line' (life line) flows through the design providing the main structural rhythm. Koru and pitau (spiral) elements are in both the under and overlays, together with the overall form, are suggestive of waves.

Matakupenga Bracelet
Alex Nathan (1946-)
Te Roroa, Ngati Whatua, Nga Puhi
Silver
Width: 0.75 x 6.5"
kx30659

The use of 'matakupenga' is a loose description that should be clarified. There are elements of several designs incorporated, the matakupenga (wood carving pattern), pakura (rolling spirals), as well as koru and pitau (spiral) forms, which are basic motifs of kowhaiwhai (painted scroll work).

Nihotaniwha Bracelet
Alex Nathan (1946-)
Te Roroa, Ngati Whatua, Nga Puhi
Silver
Width: 1 x 6.5"
kx30658 'Nihotaniwha' (niho -teeth, taniwha - fabulous creature) pattern is traditionally used in tukutuku (stitched, woven latticework). Tukutuku panels adorn the interior walls between the carved poupou (ancestral figures) in the whare whakairo (carved meeting house). Within our tribal area, tukutuku panels are said to represent the living descendants of the ancestors.

Nihotaniwha is also the principle motif of taniko (weaving on the hems of cloaks) and symbolically illustrates the realm of mythology. The saw-edged teeth pattern represents the chief and his lineage from the gods.