Whare Kōrero
About Toi Matarau
Toi Matarau is a kaupapa Māori whare toi led by tikanga Māori values that inform all practices internally and externally. It is a contemporary Māori art gallery that celebrates the work of both emerging and celebrated Māori artists. Toi Matarau intends to support, uplift, inform and advance the progress and development of artists whilst expressing hospitality and generosity to guests visiting the gallery. Collaboration and innovation is encouraged and celebrated. Toi Matarau acknowledges and appreciates Māori arts practices that resonate with frameworks that model universal wellbeing of integrity and identity. Toi Matarau is located within the Māoriland Hub and is mandated by Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki. The gallery has a special focus on Māori artists who whakapapa to or are descendants of the ART Confederation of Ngāti Raukawa, Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Toa Rangatira. This includes those with a connection to Ōtaki or who live on the Kāpiti Coast, the greater Wellington region and Manawatū. We also invite artists from other rohe and Indigenous communities to exhibit their work for sale in the gallery and online store.
Te Tāhū o Toi Matarau
Te Timatanga
Toi Matarau the exhibition launched for the very first time in 2019 at the 6th annual Māoriland Film Festival. The introduction of 20 local Māori artists of Ōtaki was the beginning of a new relationship where traditional and contemporary Māori arts complemented an impressive and dynamic film programme. The focus was showcasing their uniqueness to a new and wide audience (national and international). From humble beginnings, the public response was thrilling. Happy customers left wanting to see more of what artists had to showcase, accommodating an appetite for local retail as well as travellers visiting Ōtaki and the Kāpiti Coast region. In June of 2019 at the launch of the Matariki New Year, Toi Matarau opened its doors officially as a permanent gallery space with the opening of Tātai Whetū.
Pūtake
The purpose of Toi Matarau is primarily based on the Māori worldview and value of Manaakitanga:
To promote and facilitate the transfer of taonga tuku iho through high quality engagement, participation and experiences of toi Māori
to ensure kaupapa are delivered through the application of tikanga tuku iho in everyday practices.
Ko wai mātou
Maakarita Paku & Louisa Donnell are the wāhine duo behind Toi Matarau. A team working in partnership to uphold Ngā Pou o Te Whare o Māoriland. With combined skills Maa & Lou are committed to ensuring the kaupapa of Toi Matarau is nurtured, continuing its growth and longevity for the next generation of Māori and Indigenous artists.
Maakarita Paku
Kaitiaki Toi
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Louisa Donnell
Kaihāpai Toi
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