Honouring Māori arts with 2014 Te Waka Toi Awards

CREATIVE NEW ZEALAND MEDIA RELEASE

Honouring contributions to Māori arts with 2014 Te Waka Toi Awards
Tohunga, artists and community leaders have been honoured for their contributions to preserving and promoting the future of high-quality Māori arts.

The Creative New Zealand Te Waka Toi Awards, held in Rotorua tonight, celebrate the lives and successes of ngā toi Māori (Māori arts) practitioners and advocates, and serve as a springboard for emerging artists.

Established in 1986, the annual awards are the only national Māori arts awards that celebrate all artforms, with awards that recognise leadership, outstanding contribution, excellence and potential in ngā toi Māori.

Supreme award
Renowned Māori visual artist Sandy Adsett, MNZM, MMVA (Ngāti Pahauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu) has received the supreme award for exemplary contribution to ngā toi Māori, Te Tohu Aroha mō Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu. Mr Adsett is a painter with experience in carving, weaving, costume and stage design. His impressive influence and artwork can be seen in many community buildings from meeting houses, churches, art museums, government and corporate venues as well as private collections. Mr Adsett exhibits nationally and extensively throughout the Pacific, Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, Canada and the United States.
Making a difference to Māori arts
Te Tohu Toi Kē has been awarded to the multi-talented Professor Derek Lardelli, ONZM (Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou) for making a positive difference to ngā toi Māori. Professor Lardelli is a tā moko artist, painter, carver, kapa haka performer, composer, graphic designer, researcher of whakapapa and oral histories, and kaikōrero.

Strengthening the Māori language
Dr Apirana Tuahae Kaukapakapa Mahuika (Ngāti Porou) has been awarded Te Tohu Aroha mō Ngoingoi Kumeroa Pewhairangi. Dr Manuika’s passion for the promotion and protection of Ngāti Porou Taonga and Te Reo ake o Ngāti Porou is unrelenting. Among numerous other contributions and achievements, he was one of the founding lecturers in Te Reo Māori at Victoria University (along with his whanaunga Dr Te Kapunga Dewes) as well as the founding lecturer in Te Reo Māori at Massey University.

Lifetimes of service to Māori arts
Kaumātua and kuia who have devoted their lives to strengthening Māori culture through their support of Māori arts were honoured with Ngā Tohu ā Tā Kingi Ihaka.
• Reverend Rollo John Richard Hovell, MA, JP, 1937 – 2014 (Ngāti Porou) – The late Reverend Hovell established a reputation as a kōwhaiwhai artist under the guidance of Ngāti Porou carving expert Pakariki Harrison. He was part of the contemporary Māori art movement, exhibiting his paintings alongside Para Matchitt and Sandy Adsett, and taking part in the activities of the Māori Artists and Writers Society and Ngā Puna Waihanga.
• Elizabeth Aroha Ellis, CNZM, JP (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou) – Auckland-based Elizabeth Ellis is a visual artist with a high profile in Māori arts, the education sector and the community. Mrs Ellis has served New Zealand’s arts and cultural sector for many years and continues to have an active leadership role in arts and culture of Aotearoa.
• Te Warihi Hetaraka (Ngāti Wai, Ngā Puhi, Tainui) – Tohunga whakairo, teacher and mentor, Te Warihi Hetaraka is known in Te Tai Tokerau and beyond as an authority on whakairo/toi Māori. He was chosen by kaumātua as a 15-year-old to represent the tribes of Tai Tokerau in the first intake of the trainees of the NZ Māori Arts & Crafts Institute, and has since worked continuously to preserve and disseminate mātauranga Māori.
• Dr Rangimarie Turuki Rose Pere (Ngāti Kahungunu, Tūhoe) – Rose, as she likes to be called, has been involved in education, community development and language revitalisation for the past 40 years. She welcomes people from all over the world into her home to talk about the importance of learning to understand and respect different peoples, cultures, traditions and the environment around us.
• Danny (Raniera) Craven Poihipi (Whānau-ā-Apanui) – Danny Poihipi is a huge contributor to his iwi and his people through oral arts, performing arts (in particular kapa haka), kaupapa waka and tā moko.

Emerging Māori artists – Ngā Manu Pīrere
• Chloe Cull (Kāi Tahu) is currently completing a Master’s degree in art history at Victoria University, writing a thesis titled Māori women’s art and art history. Her thesis explores the relationship between Māori women’s art of the 1970s and 80s and political activism relating to Māori feminist and sovereignty movements.
• Te Utanga-ki-Whangaparaoa Tautuhi (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngai-te-rangi, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Porou) is in his final year of completing a Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts at Te Pūtahi a Toi (School of Māori Art, Knowledge and Education). Through his work, Te Utanga hopes to inspire Māori people to uphold the tikanga and kawa of the various traditions in ahurea Māori (Māori culture).

Further information on award recipients see : http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1412/Te_Waka_Toi_Awards__recipient_bios.pdf
ENDS

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