Michelle Kerr
Iwi: Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Whānau ā Apanui,Te Aitanga ā Hauiti
Aronga Toi: Raranga, Whatu, Wearable Arts and Painting
Akonga:
Michell Kerr (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Whānau ā Apanui, Te Aitanga ā Hauiti) is a multimedia artist based in Te Tairāwhiti. Michelle holds a Master of Professional Creative Practice and is a second-year tutor at Toihoukura. She descends from a whānau of weavers; Her art practice is grounded in traditional mātauranga, exploring various pūrākau across different mediums.
She is a proactive artist in her community, often involved in spaces that uphold the intergenerational continuity of Toi Māori, such as her involvement in Mahi ā Atua wānanga, and maintaining weaving circles within her iwi, Te Aitanga ā Hauiti.
Kaupapa:
Michelle creates at varying scales, ranging from small harakeke beads to large, full-length sculptural pieces. She often stretches the boundaries of traditional raranga to create a contemporary style recognised as her own.
Primarily a weaver and wearable arts designer, Michelle also has the gift of painting. Her style is distinct in that she utilises layers of texture and contemporary pītau manaia, a style of East Coast kōwhaiwhai taught at Toihoukura. Manu are a prominent theme in her works, she features the Toroa (Royal Albatross) in her painting ‘Te Kākahu Whakaruruhau’,
Toroa are a tapu species held in high regard among many iwi; a noble bird of the ocean, revered as a kaitiaki or protector of the ocean. A Toroa in a bowed pose is cloaked by a texture of gradients- blue and turquoise green, as if it too is being held and protected by its environment.
This piece reminds us of the whakataukī “He toroa whakakopa” as words of encouragement to stay on the right track. Given their capacity to fly lengthy distances, Toroa are a symbol of resilience, strength, and endurance, regarded as rangatira in their own right. The naming of this piece is an affirmation of protection- ‘Te Kākahu Whakaruruhau’, the cloak of protection- to be led by and looked over by the Toroa as one journeys on their respective path.
