New Exhibitions Celebrate Waikato’s Public Art And Pioneering Maaori Artist

He Mai Mai Aroha Kia Fred Graham'

E te maatanga toi ote ao Maaori takoto! 
Kua mutu to hikoitanga ite mata ote whenua oou Tuupuna Maatua 
Haere atu raa. 
E kore e mutu te tangi mou. 
Kei te tuu tonu ana oou taonga hanga nei koe ete matua hurinoa ki te Ao katoa! 
Kaati a tera waahi mou 
E moe!

A celebration of Waikato's public art and a powerful painting retrospective are the two new exhibitions opening this week at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery.

‘Inside Out’ showcases the region’s landmark sculptures through photographs alongside smaller-scale works by the same artists. The exhibition has been curated by Te Whare Taonga’s Gina Matchitt and includes work by the legendary Tainui artist Fred Graham, who passed away last week aged 97.

‘Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi’ celebrates pioneering Maaori artist Robyn Kahukiwa, who passed away recently aged 87. The exhibition is developed and toured by The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata, in partnership with Te Manawa Museum.

“We are buzzing with excitement to share these two new exhibitions,” said Liz Cotton, Director of Museum and Arts.

“Inside Out will take our visitors from the bold outdoor landmarks we all recognise from around the region, to the intimacy of a gallery setting with insights to the process of developing larger-than-life scale work.

“It’s fascinating to see how an iconic public artwork, like Chris Booth and Diggeress Te Kanawa’s ‘Ngā Uri o Hinetuparimaunga’ located at the entrance to Hamilton Gardens, relates directly to an exquisite feathered korowai and to a dramatic installation in the Museum’s largest gallery space.

“As well as work by Fred Graham, Chris Booth, and Diggeress Te Kanawa, Inside Out also features the artists Dion Hitchens, Lonnie Hutchinson, Bob Jahnke, Eugene Kara, and Para Matchitt.

“We’ve also created the ‘Inside Out Road Trip’ with a custom Google Maps itinerary so that you can continue a self-lead adventure visiting the public art featured in our exhibition.”

Regarding the exhibition Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi, Cotton acknowledges the poignant timing of this tribute to one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s trailblazing artists:

“In light of Robyn’s passing, there is a deeper resonance to Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi and the decades of her artwork on display. Her mahi has become an alternate visual rendering of Aotearoa’s history, through the lens of a Maaori woman. It is an honour to share this nationwide touring exhibition with our communities here in Hamilton Kirikiriroa.”

Robyn Kahukiwa has iwi affiliations to Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Konohi, and Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare. As well as powerful paintings that interweave art and politics, she also wrote and illustrated award-winning children’s books, including collaborating with writer Patricia Grace.

In 2020, Creative New Zealand named Kahukiwa as the Supreme Award winner at the 34th Te Waka Toi Awards in recognition of her extensive career as a painter, illustrator, sculptor and author, as well as her unyielding political and cultural commentary.

Inside Out is open to the public at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery from 16 May to 5 October 2025 and entry is free.

Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi is open from 16 May to 7 September 2025 and entry is free.

Please note 

For te reo Maaori, Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery uses double vowels (uu) in place of vowels with a macron (ū) to represent a long vowel sound. This spelling approach is the preference of tangata whenua in Hamilton Kirikiriroa and Waikato iwi for te reo Maaori words. Artists’ titles are shown in their original form.

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