These words, first spoken by Kingi Tāwhiao, speak to the sacred origins of Māori art and the enduring responsibility to foster and protect its many forms. Rooted in Hawaiki — the ancestral homeland — Māori art is more than aesthetic; it is whakapapa, wairua, and tikanga made visible.

This exhibition brings together a collective of artists whose works reflect this kaupapa. Through their diverse practices, they honour tradition while forging new pathways for toi Māori. As Tāwhiao urged, we are called to grow the art, uplift it, and ensure its vitality for generations to come.