Ko Te Reo Te Mauri O Te Mana Māori And Te Ao Marama Collection Art Exhibition At New Zealand Parliament

The New Zealand Parliament celebrates 50th anniversary of the petition calling for recognition of the Māori language, and 100th anniversary of Matangireia by displaying two collections of art in their Parliament exhibition spaces- Ko te reo o te mana Māori and Te Ao Marama.

Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori, Ko te kupu te mauri o te reo Māori (The language is the life force of the mana Māori, the word is the life force of the language), acknowledges the 50th anniversary of the 1972 petition to Parliament calling for active recognition of the Māori language.

The exhibition’s title is a quoted whakataukī by Tā Himi Henare and is a compelling catalyst for the artists, Te Hemo Ata Henara, Tash Nikora, and Lorraine King, who explore their personal journeys in te reo Māori through the power of weaving and painting.

Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori will be presented alongside eight highlights from the Parliamentary Collection - Te Ao Marama. This collection features works by renowned Māori artists Cliff Whiting, Bob Jahnke, Robyn Kahukiwa, Te Aue Davis, Fred Graham, Sandy Adsett, Darcy Nicholas, and Aromea Tahiwi.

These works were commissioned in the 1990s for Te Ao Marama, the name given to the temporary Māori Affairs Select Committee Room in Bowen House while Parliament House and Parliamentary library were refurbished.

We are excited to bring these together again to celebrate the centenary of Matangireia, the original Māori Affairs Select Committee Room in Parliament House.

Visiting the exhibition

The exhibition is being held across both of Parliament's exhibition spaces, the Visitor Centre, and Te Papakura from August 4 to October 19.

The exhibition space is open to the public Tuesday – Saturday every week, from 10am to 4pm.

Or you can book here to take a tour of Parliament, and visit the art gallery while you’re here!

© Scoop Media