Whakapapatia

Step into a world of light, lineage, and legacy as the Toi Whakaata Māori Print Collective brings its rich printmaking tradition to Hihiaua Cultural Centre. This much-anticipated exhibition showcases the work of Māori printmakers whose art reveals stories of whakapapa, whenua, and wānanga — images born from the matrix of plate and paper, where each print is a gentle unveiling of memory and identity.

The collective, founded in 2006, has long explored what Māori print means: not just in design, but as a process deeply rooted in matauranga Māori, ancestral narratives, and the creative interplay of material and spirit.

Visitors to this exhibition can expect to see a diverse range of techniques — from woodblock to cyanotype — and works by both founding voices like Faith McManus, Vanessa Edwards and newer artists who are helping shape the future of print in Aotearoa.

Image by Alexis Neal, “The direction of the weave moves”