Stitching breath over whenua, (behind nans whare)

Tuuii Howard, Pounamu Rurawhe, Whiro Walker

6.9.24 - 5.10.24

Mihi 

We are an embodiment of all those who have come before us and all of those who we share breath with, in the present. Their teachings, offerings to the future. Our learnings, offerings to the past. A takarangi of akongaa, being woven for our mokopuna to traverse.

‘Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi - engari he toa takitini ke!’

‘My strength/being is not that of one person – but of thousands!’

To our Matriarchs - our nannies, mums, aunties. Who always ground us in whakapapa, and remind us of our lineage. Nana Rebecca Fulton - teenaa koe rawa atu e wahine toa!

Holly Walker, Nayte Ngaaurupaa, Taranaki Ah Young Grace, Sylvan Spring, Kahu Kutia, Maneno Martin, Axel Olsthoorn, Vida Gibson and our expansive chosen whaanau- who feed us, protect us, warm our bodies, propel us forward. 

Hana Burgess and Haylee Koroi, our time travelling whanaunga of the north - who brought us home, in all the infinite ways. 

Witi Ihimaera, our guiding star. Moana Jackson, our wayfinder. 

Tohunga Dr. Rangimaarie Rose Pere, Ngaahuia Murphy, Robyn Pryor, Rosanna raymond, Suzanne tamaki, The Pacific Sisters, Ti kira Whakamoe, Ashlee Gee, Te Kahureremoa Taumata, Sarah Hudson, Lanae Cable, Jordan Davey-Emms, Atarangi Anderson- you resurrected our connections to our ngaa atua waahine. You have ignited our mahuika flames. 

We walk forwards with our eyes gazed towards the past, planting the kaakano you offered us, in each footstep we take. 

Stitching breath over whenua, (behind nans whare)

*This work is a response to a wānanga held in the ngahere behind Tuuii’s (artist) nan and pops whare in Waiterimu, Matuhuru. 

Kohekohe calls out to us in the darkness of Te Pō. Her arms extended, reaching out, towards our bodies. “Haere, haere, haere mai e mokopuna. Arrive to me, my grandchildren, I have ako for you.”

Wānanga pertaining to our recent hikoi into the ngahere (behind nans house) leads us to the forming of a ritual quilt. Stitching of observations, feelings and akonga  we received from our time in the ngahere with raakau kohekohe. Mother tree. Healer of the whare tangata. Knowledge keeper. 

Te Maara O Tane yearns for us to engage, waiting patiently for our return to their rongoaa. Interconnected knowledge systems, in the roots, in the leaves, in the moss, in the whenua, are all reaching out for reciprocity. 

They ask us to listen. To care. To see. To observe. To whakawhanaungatanga. 

‘Stitching breath over whenua, (behind nans whare)’ reflects upon the collective healing that can be accessed through the practice of (whaka)whanaungatanga. Using a series of exploratory wananga we begin to consider how connection between people, the natural environment, and spiritual realms can strengthen foundations for healing. Whanaungatanga relies on the ability to nurture and care within relationships but what is the act of whakawhanaungatanga; what are our obligations within these relationships? What is reciprocity with our human and non-human whanaunga? How do we deepen our responsibilities to each other (human, and non-human) to better engage in whakawhanaungatanga?

Whiro 

1. Te Raa

Light scatters and shifts through the shining green leaves above. 

Repurposed green cotton (op-shop), repurposed embroidered linen (Pou’s mums fabric box). 

2. Singing Fungi

Repurposed fabrics (Op-shop/personal collection), cotton thread, Bells, Fabric paint (Personal collection)

hakeke/Wood Ear mushroom listen out for our gentle footsteps atop the maunga. Kowhaiwhai patterns spiralling upwards towards the Ranginui. Wood-Ear mushroom. 

3. Manawa Awhi. 

Repurposed fabric (Op-shop), cotton thread (collection), fabric paint (Personal collection) 

Squishy and comfy.

4. Into te kore

Repurposed fabric, cotton thread (collection), kereamu (Ruakaakaa), metal chain taonga from Nayte. Star pendant from the 90’s of mums. Kohatu from mahia, friends and travels. Worm vibes. 

5. Kohekohe. 

Repurposed Fabric (Pou’s mums fabric box), trim and lace (fabric box), Fabric paint (personal collection)

Flowers of the kohekohe made of Pounamu’s nan lace trim. Whenua dyed fabric. 

Tuuii

1. TIME TRAVELLING TAKARANGI Repurposed linen dyed in kereamu whenua (Waitaakere), repurposed kahurangi fabric , cotton thread sources from a community crafting nanny in ngaaruawaahia.

2. TRAVERSING COLONIAL BOUNDARIES

Op-shop faux leather, wool and thread from a community crafting nanny in ngaaruawaahia.

created of three plated strands of wool. barbed wire fence. We grow beyond the constraints and borders. Growth of ako. 

3. IN THE VALLEY WHERE THE KOHEKOHE GROW

Repurposed linen, op-shop fabric, stuffing (made of cuttings from repurposed blanket inner), fabric dyed with waiterimu matahuru whenua with nana, red thread from Ngaruawaahia crafting nanny,  kookoowai from whangaarei. Mangopare. Papatuanuku. The strength of grief. Moving forwards, Like a shark. Toto of kurawaka. 

Pounamu

1. HINE/TANE

Kauri leaves, repurposed embroidered fabric, cotton thread (from mum’s collection), Karamea (Ruakaakaa), Kookoowai, (Wairaka), Kerewhenua (Waitakere) 

2. iRA UWHA

Repurposed linen, cotton thread (from mum’s collection), Karamea (Ruakaakaa), Papakura (Wairahi) Onion skin dyed linen (gifted by Ti kira Whakamoe). 

3. Hohono te haa (connect to your breath)

Repurposed lace curtain, cotton thread (from mum's collection), angiangi/lichen (found on decaying/broken branches), Puukeho and kereruu feathers. 

4. Rewarewa

Repurposed linen, cotton thread (from mum’s collection), Karamea (Waitarkere), Rewarewa leaves, Rewarewa seed pods.  

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Tuuii Howard - Ngaati Whaawhaakia, Wairere Ngaati Koura, Ngaati Kahungunu, Te Roroa, Ngaati Kuri, Kotirani (McLean), Aerani 

I am an indigenous maaori portal activator residing on the whenua of Te Hoe oo Tainui at my nan and pops whare. Healing is the foundational bedrock of my practice. Through intuitive play and whakawhaunatanga, my practice explores the rongoa within whakapapa, manaakitanga, ikuratanga, maramatanga, wairuatanga, takataapuitanga, and waahinetanga.

I exchange breath with these teachings so that we may return to our ancient healing practices and restore our ancestral relationships.

Pounamu Rurawhe - Te Rarawa, Ngaapuhi, Ngaati Tukorehe, Ngaati Raukawa ki te Tonga, Dutch, Flemish, Kotirani

I am a multi-hyphenated artist living on the whenua of Ngaati Wai ki Ruakaakaa at my whaanau whare. My practice swims between realms of live performance, sculptural video works, dance and theatre. My mahi is influenced by the cross sections of identity, colonial perspectives/histories and community storytelling, using my tinana in positionality with whenua and te taiao as the foundation to honor whakapapa relationships of whakawahine and takataapui. My most recent mahi includes, Te Tiimatanga (Auckland Pride 2024), Naa Te Arai, Ko Maahuu (Tautai Gallery 2024), saVAge K’lub (The Performance Arcade 2024), (Body HAUS, video work 2023), He Tangata (Wellington Pride Festival 2021), Kia Mau Festival (He Tangata (2021).

Whiro Walker - Ngaati Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Aerani, Kotirani. 

I am an indigenous maaori multi-disciplinary artist currently based on the whenua of Ngaati Whaatua Ooraakei ki tamaaki makaurau. Living a classic urban Maaori life I live to explore the intersection between artificial and nature. My practice incorporates mediums of video work, archival documentation, installation and textile. My recent mahi include, Te Tiimatanga (Auckland pride 2024), Turangaranga (play_station, 2023) and Awhiawhi (Window gallery, 2024). 

List of works

Te maraa oo tane-mahuta, 2024

Quilt, Misc Materials (more information below)

Artists: Pounamu Rurawhe, Tuuii Howard, Whiro Walker

Muri Ranga Whenua, Feb 2024

Kuikui, may you watch over us?

Suspended from the ceiling  

Artists: Whiro Walker, Pounamu Rurawhe, Samie Knegt, Olive Wilson, Lili’oukalani Cantley, Jahmeila Quater, Te Kiira Whakamoe. 

Manawa tiitii, 2023

Tipua Kaitiaki

Fabric, embroidery, fabric paint

Artist: Whiro Walker

Hīanga, Aroha, Mīharo (In the garden we play, our hands dripping in earth.), 2024

Single channel video, silent, 16:53 

Artists: Pounamu Rurawhe, Tuuii Howard, Whiro Walker

Whenua body

Ka tihei au, ka mauri ora/i sneeze, therefore i am life

Artists: Papatuuaanuku

The Process

Welcome to our portal, walk with us through time, as we travel through Te Kore. Join us, envoke your portal magic.

Artists: Ko au, ko koe, ko tatou katoa

Ko Wai Koe?

Whose womb waters do you come from? These are our intentional relationships.

Artists: Tuuii, Whiro, Pounamu