Hikurangi Art Exhibition

by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White

This Matariki mā Puanga season, Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne is proud to host a new exhibition by local artist and illustrator Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Pākehā). Based in Pōneke/Wellington, Isobel holds a Bachelor's degree (hons) in graphic design majoring in Illustration from Massey University.

Her work focuses on mana wahine, incorporating native flora, fauna and kowhaiwhai.

Having illustrated over 30 books, Isobel brings a wealth of experience to this latest series of works, created especially for Matariki mā Puanga at Zealandia.

Ko Tawhirirangi rāua ko Ōteauheke ōku ngā maunga
Ko Mohaka rāua ko Awa Iti ōku ngā awa
Ko Takitimu te waka

Ko Waipapa-a-Iwi me Ōnuku ōku ngā marae,
Ko Ngati Pahauwera me Kāti Tarewa ōku ngā hapū
Ko Ngāti Kahungunu rāua ko Kāi Tahu ōku ngā iwi
Ko Ngāti Pakehā ki West Country UK me Denmark au 

No Whanganui-a-tara e noho ahau
Ko Isobel Joy Te Aho-White tōku ingoa.

Tītiro mai, tīhei mauri ora!

What does Matariki mean to you? 

For me, Matariki is a time to catch my breath from work and city-living and to reconnect with te taiao. I usually travel out to stay with my whānau at Eketāhuna, located at the eastern foot of the Tararua ranges, and we celebrate Matariki with a hike and a hāngī. 

What drew you (sorry about the pun) to studying illustration at Massey? Were there illustrations or books that you found meaningful and influential? 

Drawing has been my favourite thing to do since I could pick up a pencil, so going into illustration was always my main goal. Picture books were pretty influential to me as a child: the combination of drawings and storytelling is something that remains with me. I also enjoyed the scientific studies of Sydney Parkinson and Earnst Haekel, the naturalist motif designs of William Morris, and the abstracted geometry seen in traditional Māori art. 

How would you describe your style – what materials do you most like to work in and why? 

I’m pretty adaptable with my style, it depends on what I'm illustrating and how it can support the narrative. Digital art is what I normally use for commercial work and book illustration. But with the looming threat of AI art, I’m trying to incorporate more traditional methods into my workflow and being more mindful of how I share my art online. One thing I’ve been getting into is making my own earth paints, and I’ve started making kōkōwai, which is a red iron oxide pigment. It’s such a glorious medium to work with! I have 4 pieces in this exhibition painted with oneone and kōkōwai sourced from different areas around the motu. 

Could you talk about the ideas behind some of the works in your exhibition? 

HIKURANGI (exhibition title) 

Whakaeteete mai ko Hikurangi. Thrusting upwards is Hikurangi, the tallest peak on Te Tairāwhiti, the fin of Māui’s fish. The name Hikurangi means 'skyline', and as we look towards the eastern skyline during Matariki we see Te Waka o Rangi making its decent. At the front of the waka stands Matariki with her children: Waipunarangi, Ururangi, Tipuarangi, Hiwaiterangi, Tipuanuku, Waitī, Waitā, and Pōhutukawa. 

THE KUPENGA OF TARAMAINUKU

At the taurapa (stern) of Te Waka o Rangi, stands Taramainuku, the kaihautū (captain). He casts his net (kupenga), as the waka descends, and in it he catches the souls of those departed. When the waka returns to the celestial realm, those souls are released to become stars. 

THE EYES OF TĀWHIRIMĀTEA

The star cluster known as 'Matariki' are the fragments of Tāwhirimātea’s eyes. Tāwhirimātea, the atua of the winds and weather, was stranded on Papatūānuku after the separation of the primordial parents. In his anguish, longing to be in the sky with his father, he tore out his eyes, crushed them in his hands and  cast them into the sky where they landed on Ranginui’s chest. The full name of the Matariki cluster is “Ngā mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea”, The Eyes of Tāwhirimātea.

The exhibition is open daily at Zealandia’s Visitor Centre over June-July at no cost.

Matariki mā Puanga Whānau Activity Book