Reweti Arapere
Ngāti Pikiahu-Waewae, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Porourangi, Tūwharetoa
Ko wai au
E rere taku manawa mai i te Uranga mai o te Rā ki te hau uru ki Kapiti.
Nei rā te kupu oha o tēnei manu whakatōi e tau nei ki te pae o Toi Māori Aotearoa.
He mokopuna tēnei o te Kōhanga Reo i poupou ki te ūkaipō o te maunga o Mauao,
Ko te moana i whiua reretia a Hotu ki te toka a Tirikawa.
Ko te reo taku toka tū moana — ahakoa akina e te hau marangai.
Kia hoki mai taku mauri ki te Manawatū,
Ko Toi Oho ki Āpiti taku whare wānanga Toi Hou.
Tihei tu te ora, tihei tu te toi o Aotearoa ki te ao!
Reweti Arapere is a contemporary Māori artist and cultural leader whose creative and professional journey is deeply rooted in Te Ao Māori. A graduate of Te Pūtahi-a-Toi with a Master’s Degree in Māori Visual Art (2007), Reweti has exhibited nationally and internationally, using painting, drawing, and illustration as a vehicle to express kaupapa Māori and the evolving narratives of tangata whenua.
Reweti spent 15 years in the Youth Justice sector, advocating for kaupapa Whānau Ora and supporting rangatahi Māori through culturally grounded approaches. Today, he works in Māori Health as a Pou Tikanga Matua, facilitating education and serving as a cultural advisor. His current mahi continues the legacy of his late father, a respected figure in Māori Mental Health, and reflects his belief that Toi Māori is Rongoā — a healing force that nurtures wairua, hinengaro, and whānau.
Reweti’s work bridges the worlds of contemporary art and traditional knowledge, embodying a vision where tikanga and toi are not separate disciplines, but interwoven expressions of Māori wellbeing and identity.