Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Māori Artist, Linda Lee Awarded, Sought After, Te Whare Hēra Artist Residency, For 3 Weeks In August!
Producer of global arts collective, Shared Lines Collaborative, Wellington’s Ōtari Raranga Weavers and co-producer of Urban Dream Brokerage, artist, Linda Lee (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Huia, Ngāti Kuri,Te Aopōuri, Te Rarawa) has been granted the sought after Wellington City Council and Massey University, Te Whare Hēra Artist Residency from the 3rd -24th August 2023, for Te Karanga ki ngā Taniwha. The free to the public programme will be open between 15-22 August with a wide variety on offer, and suitable for all ages. This artist residency is proudly funded by WCC Arts and Culture and Living Wage funds, Willis Bond, Athfield Architects and Massey University.
Linda Lee’s work from Awakening the Taniwha - Matariki Exhibition, Mangere Arts Centre, 2022
Linda discovered she was whāngai at age 19 and as a mixed race artist - Māori, Chinese, Pākehā, Dalmatian/Croatian, this led her to explore identity, researching and reinterpreting family, whakapapa and further indigenous histories through exhibition, installation, photography and book form. Continued study around mātauranga Māori, raranga, rongoā and te reo Māori, as well as disaster management, have been woven into her years of practice.
Post 2011, Ōtautaki, Christchurch and the “Great Eastern Japan” Tohoku earthquakes and tsunami, Linda along with friends Kim Lowe, and Sendai based Ngaroma Riley and Aya Takada created Shared Lines Collaborative to organise an artistic exchange between the two cities. It was then that she met academics researching other indigenous narratives explaining natural disasters and artists making work responding to their own experiences. Her work since then has increasingly focussed on research relating to our ancient kaitiaki taniwha and other Māori pūrākau.
The kaupapa of Te Karanga ki ngā Taniwha, wrapped under the Shared Lines banner is focused on further researching pūrākau and the rich history of Te Whanganui-a-Tara, beginning with Māui pulling Te Ūpoko o te Ika, tales of Ngāke me Whātaitai, colonial settlement and the impact on Māori. Te Karanga ki ngā Taniwha at Te Whare Hēra will introduce people to the ancestral taniwha of Pōneke, helping us to understand why our tupuna held them in such high esteem and how we can maintain relationships with them today.
She explains, “As our ancient guide to resource management, we will examine the role of taniwha and their many functions, and consider our disconnection with the natural world. This is increasingly relevant in the face of climate change and even the current pandemic.”
The public programme offers free to the public, hīkoi, artist talks, and will explore Linda’s work delving into pūrākau, with practitioners providing free to the public introductions to raranga, rongoā, whakairo and taonga puoro through wānanga with more exciting activity yet to be announced.
Te Karanga ki ngā Taniwha will also include Lee’s own photography, raranga, installation and sound artworks around communicating with our ancient kaitiaki taniwha. The audio will include a Whakaturamoe chant recording made in collaboration with Kaiwaiata and Kaiwhatu Virginia (Kui) Topia (Ngā Puhi, Te Aupōuri). In addition, Linda will collaborate with toi Māori artists to diversify the audience experience.
A number of other highly regarded Maori practitioners involved include indigenous sound and visual artist and Kaikōrero Taupuruariki (Ariki) Whakataka Brightwell (Te Whānau-a-Ruataupere, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Ngāti Mutunga, Rangitāne, Ngāti Raukawa, Te Arawa ki Tūwharetoa, Tahiti, Ra’iātea, Rarotonga), Ringa Whao Ngaroma Riley (Te Aupoūri, Te Rarawa), Kairaranga Frank Topia (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Haua), Kairongoā - Roger Haenga (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Manuel José), taonga puoro wānanga facilitator, Sam Palmer (Pākehā), as well as educator, historian and ‘Hidden Streams’ hīkoi leader, Ricky Prebble (Pākehā/Tangata Tiriti), with more still to be confirmed.
Alongside this mahi, Linda also established the very successful Ōtari Raranga Weavers in 2021 offering koha style raranga classes at the only native botanic garden in Aotearoa. The classes are run in conjunction with her raranga mentor, Frank Topia, and were originally set up with a kaupapa of spreading knowledge of traditional Māori weaving and healing practices, utilising the native plants at Ōtari Wilton’s Bush. Linda and Frank are over the moon to have recently received funding from WCC and Wellington Communities Fund to run these classes under the koha model on an ongoing basis until at least the end of 2023!
After hearing about these classes, Te Whare Hēra became particularly keen on Linda’s project, with its focus on taniwha, raranga and active public engagement as it aligned with their kaupapa of connecting more with Te Ao Māori and more culturally diverse practices, age groups, gender diverse and furthering an understanding of what contemporary art means in their programming. The rest is now history…
Never one to rest on her laurel’s, Linda has also pulled off some massive feats, under the Shared Lines Banner. In the last 12 years, Shared Lines has since resulted in over 10 national and international collaborations. Post Kaikoura earthquake 2019 Linda and her Shared Lines team hosted a 10 day festival that took over a year to organise and build relationships with mana whenua, local businesses, artists and the community.
More recently the nationwide Shared Lines response to Covid-19, Putahitanga involved 60 artists around the motu from Whangarei to Ōtepoti created in our 2020-21 lockdowns. The massive 35 metre banner work first shown in Ōtautahi alongside a nationwide digital billboard exposé. With support from LT McGuinness, the work went on display December 2022 - May 2023 wrapping ex-council buildings in Wellington’s Te Ngakau Civic Square. This can still be viewed anytime as the online exhibition more suited to the covid climate we were in, at the time it came together.
Te Karanga ki ngā Taniwha runs at Te Whare Hēra 3-24 August and will open to the public 15 June 2023 with thanks to Willis Bond, Athfield Architects, Wellington City Council, and The Te Whare Hēra team at Massey. Visit www.sharedlines.org.nz to see the full programme, register for wānanga and read about past events.
www.sharedlinesputahitanga.co.nz
www.otariraranga.wordpress.com
www.urbandreambrokerage.org.nz
Tatai Aho Rau Core Education: Cyber Skills Programme For Tamariki Recognised At Māori Language Awards
Waitaha Kapa Haka: Waitaha-South Island Kapa Haka Celebrates 60th Anniversary
Braden Currie: Sets Sights On The Ironman North American Championships In Texas
Whanganui Regional Museum: Historic Wedding Dress Unveiled, A Piece Of Marton’s Heritage
Donovan Ryan: Local Runner Takes Out Frontrunner Christchurch Marathon
University of Auckland: Tributes Flow For Much Loved Pacific Leader Melegalenu’u Ah Sam