Matariki Food Drive: Sharing Food + Art

A student exhibition and food drive for the Lower Hutt Food Bank are at the heart of The Learning Connexion School of Creativity and Art’s Matariki celebration.

“As the marking of the Lunar New Year, Matariki is a time to consider the renewal and change that is a constant in life; to celebrate the year past and make plans for the year to come,” says Leo Semau, a mentor with The Learning Connexion (TLC) Restricted Programme.

Traditionally, Matariki is closely tied to planting, harvesting and hunting. Those core concerns around providing for ourselves and our loved ones remain. “In recent years for more and more of us, these concerns around reliably providing life’s basic necessities have become pressing, even urgent issues,” says Leo.

“With these contexts in mind, we have made the goal of this exhibition to mark and celebrate Matariki, while specifically acknowledging the contemporary context of food in 2022, particularly regarding food affordability and food security.”

The Matariki exhibition will feature artwork from students in TLC’s Restricted Programme – those students studying qualifications from prisons around Aotearoa. The featured artworks will be in the form of kites – celebrating Matariki – and plates – which are associated with food.

The works are overflows from previous RP exhibitions, and represent the prolific creativity of TLC’s Restricted Programme students. “Fitting with concepts central within mātauranga Māori such as balance and reciprocity, these works which represent an abundance in their own context, are utilised here with the intent that they draw awareness to and help alleviate an essential and growing material need in another,” says Leo.

All food donations will go to the Lower Hutt Food Bank; 50% of proceeds from artwork sales go to the Lower Hutt Food Bank and 50% to The Learning Connexion Educational Trust, a not-for-profit organisation.

An opening will take place on Saturday 2 July, 2pm - 5pm at The Learning Connexion School of Creativity and Art. The event will include a karakia, along with a free sausage sizzle. Koha for the Lower Hutt Food bank is welcome.

Opening: Saturday 2 July, 2pm - 5pm

Exhibition hours:

2 July - 13 July

Mon - Fri, 9am - 2pm

The Learning Connexion
182 Eastern Hutt Road, Taitā, Lower Hutt
0800 278 769

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