Sensational success in Ringa Toi art awards
Huge congratulations to Waihuia Thein – who has won two awards in the prestigious national Ringa Toi exhibition – which showcases the artwork of secondary school students with a focus on Toi Māori and Pacific Arts at Excellence level.
Waihuia won the top Highly Commended award in the Toi Matihiko category, and the second-place Commended award in the Toi Wharepora category.
Each of the five categories in the exhibition has only two awards – so Waihuia winning two of the possible 10 awards is an amazing feat.
We’re also incredibly proud of Mary Lou Carswell, who was also selected to exhibit her work at Ringa Toi – a great achievement in itself.
Ka rawe Waihuia and Mary Lou!
Waihuia Thein
(Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāi Tahu)
Toi Matihiko
Highly Commended
Takawhiwhiwhiwhi
Digital photograph and scanned drawing
My whakapapa, my marae and my culture inspire me to express my art. This artwork uses my marae's waharoa (Tukorehe) overlapping with a collage of photos. The string entangling the face and hands in the photos represent relationships and whakapapa, and how they can bind and restrict us. The string itself evokes traditional whai (string) games and aka (vines) entwined and interlaced in a complex web of whanaungatanga.
Waihuia Thein
(Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāi Tahu)
Toi Wharepora
Commended
Tuku iho
I was inspired by my mum, who is a talented weaver and the craft of raranga to create this piece. This artwork uses pōkinikini and muka woven with a traditional whatu stitch and dyed to create a kākahu. This cloak represents taonga being handed down, in the form of knowledge and skills. My mother has always inspired me to weave and has taught me everything I know. The raurekau used to dye the cloak was harvested by me, with my mum guiding me along the way. The harakeke used to make this cloak was harvested in my local pā harakeke and is from a stand of harakeke called Arawa. The simplicity of this cloak is representative of my learning journey and I am very proud of my first kākahu.
Mary Lou Carswell
(Ngāti Porou)
Exhibiting artist
Māua ki Wainui Falls
Digital photograph
This photograph represents my photograph with my Kaihana. A fun adventure to Wainui Falls, a representation of easing into adulthood. Like fresh cold water, a feeling of adolescence, the sounds of the waterfall like responsibility rushing in.
MORE ABOUT RINGA TOI: https://www2.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/ringa-toi/