Author(s): robyn kahukiwa

Maori Books

"Mauri Ora!" is the first nationwide touring exhibit in Aotearoa of Robyn Kahukiwa's art since her groundbreaking "Wahine Toa" exhibition (1981-1984) and it will tour nine cities. Kahukiwa has planned the sequence of the works in Mauri Ora! in terms of whakapapa, traversing through time. She describes it as a journey through identity over many years, encompassing "chronological history, colonisation, the past, present and future -the mauri present all the time". The power of this exhibition lies in the messages the works send to Maori, who can gain pride and identity by reconnecting with their whakapapa. Kahukiwa's focus on whakapapa and cultural heritage is dynamically depicted in the painting entitled Ngo Whowhoruo (Women Ancestors). Five life-sized figures wearing traditional korowai represent the women ancestors with images based on nineteenth century photographs of Maori women found by the artist in the Alexander T urnbull Library. The figures are part of a continuum begun with Kahukiwa's White Out series of paintings of 1994. This booklet includes a substantial amount of information on both the artist and each artwork. The whole exhibition is a tribute to Maori women and encourages them to acknowledge and celebrate mana wahine -the power and prestige ofMaori women -and their role in the continuity of genealogy in Aotearoa.