Painting with Whenua

23 May 2024, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

The Creative Community Campus, 159 17th Avenue, Tauranga South, Tauranga 3112, New Zealand

About the event
The Creative Campus is so excited to welcome this lovely wahine back with her beautiful toi...

Guided by artist Rhian Smith – in this workshop you will have the opportunity to prepare your own pigments and paint your own masterpiece while discussing how to respectfully harvest whenua without leaving a trace.

Painting with Whenua

with Rhian Smith

Thursday, 23rd May

Creative Campus

6 - 8pm

$60

“Mā te kimi ka kite, mā te kite ka mōhio, mā te mōhio ka mārama.”

“Seek and discover, discover, and know, know and become enlightened.”

Ko Mauao te Maunga Ko Tauranga te Moana Ko Taakitimu, ko Mataatua, ko Ngātokimatawhaorua ngā Waka Ko Ngāti Ranginui, ko Ngāi Te Rangi, ko Ngāpuhi ngā Iwi Ko Rhian Smith tōku ingoa.

Growing up I was surrounded by a lot of mainstream standards to which I never really fit in. It wasn’t until I immersed myself into my Māori heritage and culture that I was able to see the potential in my own self and in my art. I enjoy working with various mediums from harakeke and mahi raranga – weaving, to create my own pigments out of koha – gifts from whenua and moana and letting the pigments tell their own story on paper or canvas. A saying that resonates with me is “Mātauranga doesn’t belong to you, you hold it on behalf of those who need it”. Therefore, I like to weave stories into my art as I believe art can create conversation and the opportunity of sharing mātauranga. My mahi toi is inspired by my surroundings, the indigenous ability to tell stories in such visual and creative ways and most importantly my whakapapa.

Peruse Rhian’s artworks on her socials at @toirhi and ToiRhi