Diane Prince is a painter, weaver and installation artist who staunchly advocates for Māori rights, especially wāhine Māori. Ka Whawhai Tonu Mātou, meaning we will fight on, is based on her 2017 exhibition Cultural Incisions that included four judge’s wigs woven from muka, houhere, kuta and cotton with veils covering the face. In this series, Prince argues that the Aotearoa New Zealand legal system prioritises colonial ideas of justice, and she recalls how government policy and law were used to undermine and disadvantage Māori. Prince delivers a powerful political message with this work. Using kuta, a culturally significant wetland plant that is endangered, she reinforces the precious, fragile nature of our endemic flora.

wāhine Māori ~ Māori women

muka ~ prepared harakeke flax fibre

houhere ~ houi, hoheria, lacebark

kuta ~ tall spike sedge

He Kapuka Oneone – A Handful of Soil (from August 2024)