Artists- Catherine Dawson

Nau mai, haere mai ki te whakaaturanga toi nei 

Artists statement:

An exhibition presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Maori Visual Arts at Toioho ki Āpiti, Massey University.

This degree intersects both creative practice and academic research allowing students to develop and refine practices of creative intuition, a deeper understanding of key Māori cultural practices and ideological frameworks, and critical self-reflection.

The kaupapa for this exhibition is of mementos, little treasures, family crests and Celtic mythology.

Investigating the female goddess and archetypes of Maiden, Mother, and Crone, which symbolises the stages of a woman's life and the phases of the moon.

Positioned symbols from her family crest, layered above portraits of female ancestors—rendered as taonga tuku iho.

Their images, drawn from inherited photographs, are vessels of intergenerational knowledge.

Together, these works form a cosmology of wāhine, land, and story, carried in both blood and paint.

We invite you to join us at Rice Pudding Gallery for the opening of ‘Into the light, ki te ao mārama’, Friday 7th November 5.30-7.30pm

A massive thank you to Parrotdog Beerfor generously sponsoring this event. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Gallery open:

Sun. 9 Nov. from 11am to 3pm

Wed. 12 to Fri. 14 Nov. from 4.30 to 6.30pm,

Sat. 15 & Sun. 16 Nov. from 11am to 3pm

(Closing Sun. 16 Nov.)