Charlotte Graham – Ngāti Mahuta, Ngai Tai ki Tamaki.
Charlotte draws on her tribal affiliations for some of her artwork and dabbles in a range of media. Cultural concepts and whimsical native creatures are woven into her work. Recently she’s upscaled and created a major installation Te Waiora, for Britomart. Active in fighting causes close to her heart Charlotte has also created work for The Kauri Project.
Kelly King – Ngaitai, Ngati Kahu ki Whangaroa
Kelly studied for 4 years at Waiariki Institute of Design – graduating in Maori Design – fibre and clay. Kelly is passionate about Maori weaving and has immersed herself in the beauty and knowledge of ancestral wisdoms. Using these teachings as a springboard, Kelly incorporates non-traditional materials into her work which she has exhibited nationally and internationally over the past 19 years. Kelly has been invited by Creative New Zealand 3 times to represent Aotearoa at the Pacific Rim Indigenous Art Forums in Hawaii, Noumea and San Francisco. Kelly was invited as Artist in Residence by the Heard Museum, Arizona. She was also invited by the Tohono O’dam People in Sells Arizona, to travel with their artists through Arizona, sharing her love of weaving and her homeland with indigenous school children and adults. Kelly’s love for her country and people has made her a great ambassador for promoting Aotearoa. And with her partner Riki has also being involved with the cruise ship industry.
Kuruho Wereta – Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Te Ati Awa, Ngāti Kahungungu
Kuruho is a carver, weaver and works as the Senior Partnerships Ranger in the southern regional parks for Auckland Council. He is passionate about creating a bi-lingual Aotearoa and works to create game resources in his spare time to enhance the learning of te reo Māori. Kuruho likes to connect people to nature through his work. “Tuia ki te rangi, tuia ki te whenua, tuia ki te ngākau o te tangata.”
Louise Potiki Bryant
Louise is a Ngāi Tahu choreographer, dancer, and video artist. With her artistic practice Louise aims to honour her whakapapa, kaupapa Māori and mana wahine. She designs installations for her works and is responsible for the design, production, and editing of the projected video elements – an integral part of each performance. Her video art practice includes the creation of dance films, video installations and music videos as well as designing video for music events, operas and dance productions. Her recent work has included designing video for three of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s productions; Re-Quickening, Blood Tides and Blood Water Earth. Louise has undertaken several residencies including the Harriet Friedlander Residency awarded by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand, which provided a period of choreographic and artistic inspiration in New York City.
Lynda Burns
Pāora Puru – Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, Te Waiohua, Waikato-Tainui
Pāora juggles multiple projects in a range of sites and scenarios. He recently worked for the Tūpuna Maunga Authority (helping to protect Auckland’s volcanic cones) and has been a teacher but is now freelancing. He has a contract with The Ministry of Education, he also has a passion for raising Māori achievement in South Auckland and has just launched a tourism business, ‘The Taupua Experience’ in Auckland.
Riki Bennett – Te Arawa, Ngati Porou
Riki has led cultural environmental programs for many years as a park ranger for Auckland Council and also in his private life sharing his knowledge of the natural environment and how Maori in the past utilised the forest resources. His passion in this area has taken his journey in many directions from working with school students, demonstrating traditional traps and snares to hika ahi (fire making) He has worked with community groups, corporate groups and visitors to NZ aboard super yachts. He has also worked on board cruise ships, presenting on ethno botany and demonstrating taonga puoro (Māori traditional flutes). He was part of the New Zealand delegation at the Pacific Arts festival in Palau, Micronesia and represented New Zealand at the International Tourism event in Dubai with Tourism New Zealand and in New York with Air Tahitinui promoting New Zealand as a destination.
Robin Taua-Gordon – Te Kawerau a Maki
Robin is an educator and is deeply involved, on behalf of her iwi, in advising on environmental issues associated with the Waitakere Ranges, her tūrangawaewae. Among many other projects she has been advising on and monitoring track standards for kauri dieback, teaching tamariki a new haka for Matariki and contributing to a new interpretive trail at Kitekite Falls track.
Tipa Compain – Ngāti Whanaunga
Tipa is a passionate leader and advocate for Ngāti Whanaunga initiatives. He has worked inside and outside local authorities and is aware of the opportunities and constraints of both sides. He is aware of bringing tamariki with him as he seeks fresh approaches to issues. He is currently developing a portal for the safekeeping of stories of his people and is part of a team creating interpretation for Tāpapakanga Regional Park.
Victoria Travers – Auckland Museum
Profile coming soon.
Anahera Higgins and Claire Hall – Auckland Council