Kura Te Waru Rewiri

Kura Te Waru Rewiri is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most celebrated Māori artists and an influential educator, with a long history of teaching in schools, tertiary institutions, universities and Whare Wananga. At the suggestion of Buck Nin (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Toa), who taught her at Bay of Islands College, Te Waru Rewiri moved south to study fine arts at the University of Canterbury, in 1973 writing her honours thesis on pre-European Māori art and stone tool carving. She wrote: “As Māori women we have to redefine our past so that we know where we stand now.” Te Waru Rewiri gives voice to the concerns of Māori women and represents Māori realities and beliefs. Her contribution to culture continues not only through her art, but through her support and nurturing of students, fellow artists and contemporary Māori art curators.

(Living Archives, 25 October 2025 – 8 March 2026)