Our exhibitions feature local, national and international artists. You can view details of exhibitions taking place at our arts centres through the links below.
Fresh Gallery Otara
Mangere Community Arts Outreach Service
Nathan Homestead
Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts
Uxbridge
Fresh Gallery Otara
Matua o Faiaoga Muamua – Parents Are Our First Teachers
Artist: Pelenato Liufau
When: 19 February – 13 March 2010
Opening: 6-8pm, Thursday 18 February
“My recent work acknowledges instances when children have been exposed to questionable parental practices and the impact of prioritising cultural and religious obligations over nurturing, instances that lead to neglect and child abuse.
“Being a father has enabled me, with Island eyes, to witness and become aware of particular situations where the cultural traditions and religion of the local Island community have a stronghold on the individual. Children are the unacknowledged victims of change regardless of ethnicity.”
Pelenato Liufau is a recent graduate of Manukau School of Visual Arts.
PLASTIC
Artist: Czarina Alisi Wilson
When: 19 March – 10 April 2010
Opening: 6-8pm, Thursday 18 March
Czarina Alisi Wilson is an award winning young designer with over ten years of experience creating boundary pushing garments for Westfield Style Pasifika, Villa Maria Cult-Couture and the Montana World of Wearable Arts competitions. Funky urban street style, matrimonial glamour and painstaking hand-made detail are what Czarina has become recognised for.
In her first solo exhibition, the focus is on the artist’s cultural foundations. Works examine the struggles of being hafekasi and negotiating acceptance from both Tongan and Pākehā communities. PLASTIC is a personal interpretation of “trying to hold on to what I can of what I describe myself as – not what others label you by – as ‘plastic’…palagi loi…fia palagi, and so on and so on.”
Tongan Style
Artists: Lingisiva ‘Aloua, Kolokesa Kulīkefu, Noma‘Ofa-ki-Nu’usila Talakia’atu, Manuēsina Tōnata, Hūlita Tupou
Curated by: Kolokesa Māhina-Tuai & Manuēsina Māhina
When: 16 April – 8 May 2010
Opening: 6-8pm, Thursday 15 April
Tongan Style highlights the art and practice of embroidery and crocheting within a Tongan context. Whilst many Pacific cultures practice the art of embroidery and crocheting, such as the Cook Islands and Kiribati, Tongan women have made this art form and practice their own through the production of tangible wealth in the forms of embroidered and crocheted sheets, pillow cases and dresses.
Tongan Style celebrates creativity and innovation, with a special focus on the unique ‘Tefisi style’ of clothing which incorporate embroidery, crocheting and freestyle construction as opposed to a more western style of construction involving patterns.
Blood’s Thicker Than Mud
Artist: Terry Koloamatangi Klavenes
When: 14 May – 12 June 2010
Opening: 6-8pm, Thursday 13 May
Terry Koloamatangi Klavenes’ photography documents his kainga, his family and community. His work expresses his personal history, and how his relationships and the experiences of his youth (both positive and not so positive) have shaped the man, father, and artist that he has become.
Terry’s first solo at Fresh Gallery Otara in 2007 created a major impact; the installation Hybrids and Hafekasis went on to win the Martin Hughes Contemporary Pacific Art Award. In 2010, Terry will show new work at City Gallery Wellington. To celebrate Fresh Gallery Otara’s 4th anniversary, Blood’s Thicker Than Mud has been selected to represent the gallery’s culture and identity, and South Auckland artistic excellence making an impact both nationally and internationally.
Native Coconut
Artists: Margaret Aull, Leilani Kake, Janet Lilo and Cerisse Palalagi
Curated by: Ema Tavola
When: 18 June – 10 July 2010
Opening: 6-8pm, Thursday 17 June
To celebrate Matariki, the Māori New Year, four artists with both Māori and Pacific Island heritage explore the cultural interface of being both tangata whenua and tauiwi. The artists represent the increasingly visible sector of intercultural New Zealanders, offering insight into the conflict and tension, joys and connectedness of being a “native coconut”.
Margaret Aull is a painter of Fijian, Te Rarawa and Tuwharetoa descent. Leilani Kake is a video installation artist of Cook Island, Nga Puhi and Tainui descent. Janet Lilo is an video installation artist of Samoan, Niuean and Nga Puhi descent. Cerisse Palalagi is an print artist of Niuean, Te Arawa and Ngaiterangi descent.
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Mangere Community Arts Outreach Service
Visesio Louis Thomsen
When: 5 March – 3 April 2010
Opening: Thursday 4 March
Award-winning designer Visesio Louis Thomsen presents his garments in this stunning exhibition. Inspired by traditional processes and materials his garments include Samoan textile as well as Western fabrics. White tapa and fine mat make up wedding gowns and evening wear along with silks, satins and delicate organdie. His gowns are noted for their elegance, attention to detail and layering of both garments and fabrics. Each garment is painstakingly hand-crafted, stitched and sometimes dyed as design requires.
Louis won the Villa Maria Cult-Couture Premier Award in 2008 as well as the Matrimonial Bliss category. In 2009 Louis won the Evening Wear section for Westfield Style Pasifika as well as the Manukau Designer Award at Villa Maria Cult-Couture. His award winning garments, as well as new designs, will feature in this presentation of his work.
Word Up
When: 9 April – 1 May 2010
Opening: Thursday 8 April
“Capturing urban talent in the now.”
Bringing the streets to the gallery, a collaboration of graffiti artists unite and invite you to experience funky fresh graffiti art, fused with a cultural and contemporary twist. Each artist will exhibit individual representations of self-expression and style applied to canvas, banners, clothing, toys and more.
Curated by Shaun Purcell and presented by FDKNS.
Ka pu te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi
When: 7 – 26 May 2010
Opening: Thursday 6 May, 6pm
This exciting project showcases and celebrates the talents and creative works of senior Māori art students from Manukau's secondary schools. This project promises to be a major art event with a focus on Māori youth and their
aspirations in the visual arts.
Ka pu te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi is curated by artist and arts educator Donna Tupaea and proudly presented by Toi o Manukau.
It will have a number of exhibition programmes that will range from guest Māori artist talks and workshops with students, through to forums for secondary school teachers on how to assist in resourcing Māori arts education within the curriculum. For more information on these programmes please contact Nigel Borell, Kaiwhakahaere, Toi o Manukau, phone 262 8900 ext 8241.
Beyond Documentary
When: 28 May – 19 June 2010
Opening: Thursday 27 May
Beyond Documentary is an innovative, multimedia project designed by Serena Stevenson in collaboration with Mangere teenagers, Annie Latu and Nikki Shepard.
The project looks at empowering youth with visual story telling using video, photography, animation and graphics, recorded with technology such as mobile phones, digital cameras and the internet.
The exhibition is an innovative approach to combining art, community and media. The work consists of photographs made by Serena, Annie and Nikki, moving images, scanned pages of Annie’s diary, and field recordings made by Serena with motion graphics by Adam Sheffield to create a multi media collaborative art documentary.
Presented as part of the 
Auckland Festival of Photography. www.beyonddocumentary.blogspot.com.
He Whitu – Te Whetu o te Tau
When: 25 June – 17 July
Opening: Thursday 24 June
Seven local Manukau artists each select a younger artist to present work in recognition of the end of one cycle and the beginning of another cycle. This year’s exhibition acknowledges Matariki and looks towards positive structures in the new year.
Artists include Robine Otimi, Donna Tupaea, Mary Clifford, Natalie Couch, Nigel Borell, O’Dell Toi and Richard Shortland Cooper.
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Nathan Homestead
Whanau Ora
When: 26 February – 21 March 2010
Opening: Thursday 25 February
Nellie-Ann Rerekura, Post Grad Dip.Maori Business Development, Kirkpatrick Mariner, MA Health Management, and Richard S. Cooper Doc.FA., all work together for the Counties Manukau District Health Board.
They see first-hand how fast the statistics are rising for chronic illnesses in Manukau. They question why diabetes, heart disease, gout and other chronic illnesses are so prevalent in our community.
Through installation, photographs, drawing and sculpture the artists reference the everyday physical, spiritual and historical sequences that impact on health. In this exhibition they combine their knowledge and experiences to present an exhibition that intends to discuss and promote healthy family living. Timed to coincide with Auckland’s Pasifika Festival.
Who Said Being an Artist is Glamorous?
When: 26 March – 18 April 2010
This is a group exhibition of glass and documentary photography.
In some areas of making, the process is obvious; one artist knits, another paints. We can see how an idea moves from conception to exhibition. With glass it’s different. Without documentation it’s difficult to imagine how a sculpture is cast, a bowl blown or bead made.
Who said being an artist is glamorous? documents the process and displays recent work from a group of Auckland glass artists - Abby Gulby, Frances Hanson, Fiona Rennie and Isla Osborne.
Ka pu te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi
When: 23 April – 16 May 2010
Opening: Thursday 22 April, 5.30pm
Curated by artist and arts educator Donna Tupaea and proudly presented by Toi o Manukau.
This exciting exhibition project showcases and celebrates the talents and creative works of senior Māori art students from Manukau’s secondary schools. With over 15 schools represented at two exhibition venues, this project promises to be a major art event with the focus on Māori youth and their aspirations in the visual arts.
Programmes aligned to the exhibition will include guest Māori artist talks, workshops with students, and forums for secondary school teachers on how best to resource Māori arts education within the curriculum. For more information on these programmes please contact Nigel Borell, Kaiwhakahaere, Toi o Manukau. Phone 262 8900 ext 8241.
Take It Takes It
When: 20 May – 13 June 2010
A photographic group show curated by Jules Turner.
This creative, diverse group of people named themselves ‘Take It’ because of their common interest and passion for using photographic media as a vehicle for realising ideas.
The show, Take It Takes It, explores a broad range of concepts which reflect the culture and interests of individual members of the group. A variety of processes is used including black and white hand printed images, digital ink jet prints, and projection. This exciting show brings together images which consider format, scale, materiality and quality which intend to engage with an extensive audience.
Artists include: Georgi George, Anthony Mead, Annette Western, Debbie Tracey, Harold Forman, Sachin Bhatia, Crystal Rakich, Vanessa van Marle, Craig Sweetlove, Irene Neal and Tara Dillon.
Presented as part of the Auckland Festival of Photography.
Te Taumata Exhibition Series 2010
When: 18 June – 11 July 2010
Opening: Thursday 17 June
Within Māori culture the taumata is recognised as a threshold of excellence and achievement. Here it is applied to describe and honour our most established and profiled contemporary Māori artists.
An initiative of Toi Whenua, and as part of the regional Matariki programme for 2010, there will be one significant Māori artist chosen and exhibited in each city (Manukau, Waitakere, Auckland and North Shore).
The Te Taumata Exhibition Series 2010 is curated by Nigel Borell.
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Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts
A full programme of exhibitions, classes and events is available online at www.tetuhi.org.nz or by contacting 577 0138.
Featured exhibitions
Jeremy Richard Leatinu'u
When: 13 February – 11 April 2010
Te Tuhi is delighted to present the inaugural Iris Fisher Scholar, Jeremy Richard Leatinu'u. The Iris Fisher Scholarship is awarded to one recipient annually to aid the recipient to successfully complete their tertiary study through support with fees, materials or travel.
Selected from a wide pool of applicants, the judging panel described Leatinu'u’s work as conceptually unique and articulate. Leatinu'u exhibits a body of work developed over the course of a year which explores concepts of ownership and the human occupation of property. His recent video-based work focuses on street performers both in central Auckland and throughout his Otara neighborhood.
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Uxbridge
A full programme of exhibitions, classes and events is available online at www.uxbridge.org.nz or by contacting 535 6467.
Gallery one and two: Estuary Artworks 2010
When: 12 February – 10 March 2010
Opens: 11 February, 6.30pm
This mixed media exhibition features finalist works selected for the Estuary Artworks awards 2010. Estuary Artworks aims to raise the profile of this critical waterway, encouraging community protection from all forms of pollution through exploration of visual arts.
Sponsored by ARC, first prize $8,000. Cinema Club Screening at 8pm.
Fencible Walk: Eastern Artscape
When: 19 – 25 February 2010
Opens: 18 February, 6.30pm
Uxbridge, along with Howick Village Association, presents a week long event of ticketed garden tours, a sculpture exhibition in Fencible walk, artist demonstrations, and cinema screenings.
Gallery One: The Living Room
When: 16 April – 6 May 2010
Opens: 15 April, 7pm
Uxbridge, along with 4 legs, presents a group exhibition showcasing contemporary lights as an art form. Join us for a mulled wine at the opening, celebrating the arrival of winter and to enjoy these lights after dusk.
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