TRACEY MORGAN
Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Mutunga
First appointed to the Board in 2017 and elected Deputy Chair, Tracey Morgan has been involved with Toi Māori Aotearoa as an artist, curator and project co-ordinator since the establishment of the organisation in 1996. A weaver for more than thirty years, Tracey holds a Master of Māori Visual Arts (First Class Honours), is a longtime member of Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa, curator and exhibitor for the Toi Māori Art Market and NZQA national moderator for Ngā Mahi a Te Whare Pora.
An upstanding arts leader, Tracey has an extensive background in public service in the Kāpiti region; Chair of Maungakōtukutuku Ahu Whenua Trust, Deputy Chair for Kāpiti Coast District Council Iwi Town Centres and iwi representative for the Kāpiti Coast District Arts Panel, Mahara Gallery Development Group and Waikanae Library and Cultural Centre Development.
As a Governor of Toi Māori Aotearoa through COVID-19, Tracey describes her role as one of great responsibility though an experience she finds deeply rewarding.
Tracey Morgan was initiated into Māori weaving by the Kāpiti Weavers at the age of 16 and mentored by Hereke Ethol Jenkins of Paraparaumu, who in turn was taught by Tracey’s great grandmother, Ngawati Morehu. She then went on to undertake a Bachelor of Applied Visual Arts and Design at Whitireia Polytechnic in Porirua.
“I was taught on the understanding that I would teach”, a principle that Tracey has practised in her career as a tutor, educationalist and advocate for Māori weaving, serving on Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa National Committee, and Deputy Chair of the Toi Māori Aotearoa Board of Trustees.
Tracey is focussed on customary weaving techniques, pattern and colour though confidently deploys this knowledge in new and creative ways.
She also draws inspiration from relationships she has built with other indigenous weaving communities. By incorporating these influences into her weaving, Tracey acknowledges the positive impact of these exchanges and her experience of feeling part of a global fraternity of weavers.
Recent exhibitions include:
Tiaho Mai, Kiwibank Paraparaumu
Te Ringa Māhorahora, Toi Matarau Gallery, Māoriland Film Hub, Ōtaki