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Jermaine Reihana: Te Matahi
June 27, 2015 @ 2:00 pm - July 15, 2015 @ 3:00 pm
Opening in the Main Gallery
Saturday 27 June 2 – 3.30pm
Te Matahi is the first solo exhibition by Jermaine Reihana, whose work hinges on customary Māori narrative and art conventions to relate to and navigate through the complexities of contemporary society. Reihana paints native flora and fauna rendered in a fine illustrative style, while adhering to the structural and architectural composition of interior and exterior elements of the wharenui (meeting house) kowhaiwhai, tukutuku, and whakairo. Te Matahi, the title of this exhibition, can be understood as the undertaking of a new journey; during Matariki it is the sowing of seedlings, a sign of sustainability and reflection, peering through the lens of the past while focusing on the present to develop a sustainable future.
Jermaine Reihana is an emerging Māori artist. Born in Auckland (8th July 1986) with Ngati Hine, Hokianga and Pakeha whakapapa, he studied at Massey University School of Māori Visual Arts in Palmerston North, graduating with honours in 2012. Reihana’s work featured in the most comprehensive survey of Māori contemporary art, Te Atinga: 25 Years of Contemporary Māori Art which exhibited during 2013. The catalogue for this exhibition was subsequently published in 2014.
