Celebrating Excellence in Māori Art

At the recent Ngā Tohu Toi Awards, honouring top Māori creatives across Tauranga Moana, Toi Ohomai sponsored the Arataki Reo Rōreka o Tauranga Moana | Leadership in Visual Arts Award.

Toi Ohomai art kaimahi, Quinton Bidois and Darcell Apelu, attended the awards ceremony held at The Cargo Shed and presented the award to its worthy recipient, Zena Elliott (Ngāi te Rangi and Ngāti Awa).

Zena is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher and educator. Her work advocates for the inclusivity of diverse identities, merging Māori culture with popular culture. She is a current PHD candidate on doctoral scholarship at AUT and has spent 12 years as an educator, teaching a variety of visual arts and media practices at Wintec, the University of Waikato and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Ngā Tohu Toi judges described Zena as "a star of her generation, with an extensive portfolio, and whom has received numerous accolades throughout her career to date."

Zena says her work includes a lot of rangahau and research, to enable her to incorporate her heritage and whakapapa into contemporary art that inspires.

"I try to make our Māori symbols, culture and heritage more accessible… learning from my tipuna and looking at the artistic styles of my iwi and incorporating that into my work. I want to tell great stories through carving and painting that inspires the next generation."

Held annually during Matariki, the Ngā Tohu Toi Awards are organised by Te Tuhi Mareikura Charitable Trust – a not-for-profit organisation established in 2015 with funding from Creative Bay of Plenty and local Māori development agencies. The trust is focused on building a strong Māori collective identity locally, by supporting the development of a strong cultural art legacy.

Ngā Tohu Toi Awards representatives said as an award sponsor, Toi Ohomai not only acknowledges the incredible artistic talent in Tauranga Moana, but also fuels our vibrant cultural landscape. Award organisers mentioned the Toi Ohomai Creative Industries program as a shining example of our institute's commitment to fostering local creativity and supporting our thriving arts scene.


Photo credit: Naera Ohia Photography