Te Kāhui o Matariki
Te kāhui whetū o Matariki, he huihuinga tātai i te rangi me te whenua.
The rise of Matariki marks a renewal of time and place, for people. With Te Kāhui o Matariki, leading Māori artists imbue contemporary and traditional artworks with a sense of respect and aroha for their late peers, friends and teachers: Te Aue Davis, Colleen Waata Urlich and Manos Nathan.
In addition, this month-long exhibition at Toi Matarau is a creative response to COVID-19 thanks to artists who fashioned new works during the recent national lockdown. “Stories, experiences, and memories of time, place and people, culminate with content creation, and new access that utilises digital technology.”
“Pūmanawa mai ai te aho tapu o te tangata; e kore e motuhia e ngā puna waihanga”
HE MIHI
Nau mai, kuhu mai ki te whare taonga o Māoriland. Welcome to the launch of the first exhibition event at the Māoriland Hub since the national lockdown. Rising as one with Matariki, we open our doors to Toi Matarau and the online digital exhibition.
Artists have contributed in diverse ways to this tribute for our honoured exemplars: to give thanks for their legacy and gratitude for their inspiration. And, to express their aroha to the families of Colleen, Manos and Te Aue.
On behalf of the Kaitiaki Toi, Tumu Whakarae, Trustees and whānau at Māoriland we express our aroha to everyone who has supported this kaupapa. It has borne fruit because of the generosity and encouragement of artists from around the country including: Ngā Kaihanga Uku, Rhonda Halliday, Sonia Snowden, June Northcroft-Grant, Alex Nathan, Wi Taepa, Darcy Nicholas, Garry Nicholas, Sandy Adsett, Tā Derek Lardelli, Gabrielle Belz and Elizabeth Ellis.
We also acknowledge the curatorial support of artists Pip Devonshire and Neke Moa in preparing this exhibition.
Nei rā te mihi kau ake, otirā tēnā rawa atu koutou e ngā kaihāpai katoa. Tihewa Mauri Ora!
HE WHAKAMĀNAWA
In humble gratitude, Te Kāhui o Matariki is dedicated to Colleen Waata Urlich, Te Aue Davis and Manos Nathan.
A gallery and online exhibition by contributing artists of the 2008 publication ‘Te Kāhui o Matariki’ co-edited by Colleen Waata Urlich and Libby Hakaraia, and photographed by Norman Heke.

Colleen Waata Urlich
1939-2015
Te Popoto o Ngā Puhi ki Kaipara, Te Rarawa
Colleen was born in Te Kopuru, Northland. Largely a self-taught artist and celebrated Māori ceramicist of Aotearoa, the Pacific and abroad she is the matriarch of clay and ceramics. Her passion for art began in 1956 with her high school art teacher and renowned artist, Fred Graham who focused a lot of his energy on nurturing her, being the sole Māori student in his art classes.
A mother and teacher of 40 years, Colleen later returned to study where she gained a Master of Fine Arts with honours from the Elam School of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Applied Arts. She conducted research on the influence of Lapita pottery patterns within the Pacific, the basis of her Master of Fine Arts influencing her clay work. Much of her creations were based on customary knowledge, often acknowledging Pacific genealogy and female Māori deities. Mentored by the late Reverend Maori Marsden in Mātauranga Māori related to uku (clay) this was profoundly important in providing a philosophical and spiritual foundation to her clay practice, reflecting themes underlying the formation of Ngā Kaihanga Uku
‘working with clay means working with the body of Mother Earth, she who influences and sustains us physically and spiritually.’
Colleen’s work has been exhibited throughout Aotearoa; in Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia.
Colleen was dedicated to the development of Māori Art; sculpting, moulding and nurturing through education, mentoring, being involved in Māori Arts collectives, producing art and curating exhibitions. Over the years she encouraged and supported many who have gone on to become inspirational artists as well.
In the 2015 New Year’s Honour List, Colleen was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit acknowledging her services to Māori art.
‘No one ever gets by, by themselves. My iwi, my marae, Toi Māori Aotearoa, Ngā Kaihanga Uku, particularly the artists collective of Te Taitokerau and their superb artists – this is really a recognition of all those people.’
The founding curator of Toi Ngā Puhi, the largest exhibition of Ngā Puhi and Māori arts in Aotearoa and flagship of the Ngā Puhi Festival in Kaikohe, Northland. Colleen’s legacy of toi Māori continues to thrive amongst her people in Te Taitokerau, Māori artists and indigenous friends across the ocean.
Source: June Grant
Manos Nathan
1948-2015
Te Roroa, Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Whātua, Cretan
Born of Māori and Greek whakapapa, Manos is remembered and admired as one of the country’s pioneering ceramicists and Māori clay artists. His creative background originates from woodcarving and sculpture, taught by his father Eruera Nathan. One example is the carving of their whare nui at Matatina Marae on ancestral whenua in Waipoua, Northland. His clay works speak as traditional forms and narratives of ancient cosmological knowledge and creation stories.
In the 1980s Manos lead and influenced the Māori ceramic movement over four decades and his legacy continues to amongst second and third generation Māori clay artists. He actively promoted Contemporary Māori art for many years and in 1986 co-founded Ngā Kaihanga Uku (affectionately known as the ‘muddies’), the national Māori clay worker’s collective with fellow clay artists; Colleen Waata Urlich, Paerau Corneal, Baye Riddell and Wi Taepa. He was a founder and member of many Māori arts committees and initiatives such as Te Atinga, Te Waka Toi and Ngā Puna Waihanga (Te Taitokerau Branch, 1986) and Toi Ngā Puhi where the Ngā Puhi Festival became the largest iwi based Māori exhibition in Aotearoa lead by Colleen Waata Urlich and supported by artist and Te Rūnanga o Ngā Puhi representative Allen Wihongi.
In 1989 Manos and his friend, fellow clay worker Baye Riddell were awarded a New Zealand Cultural Development grant from the Fullbright Scholarship Fund to travel to the United States. During this time, they made connections exchanging visits making lifelong friendships with many Native American potters and artists across Arizona and New Mexico in the Southwest and over time in the Northwest.
Works by Manos are held in museums, galleries and private collections throughout the world.
‘You find what you are comfortable doing. I am really comfortable with what I do and how I’ve got to that place and why I am doing it.’ – Manos Nathan
KŌRERO
Te Pae o Toi Matarau – He Aronga Māori
The Artist – Sian Montgomery Neutze Whakataki The Māoriland Hub is a house of Indigeneity, Indigenous voices and narratives. It is a space where robust views […]