Maori art in Sydney

Press, 20 February 1986, Page 37

Maori art in Sydney

PA Wellington Maori art will feature in an exhibition to open at the Sydney Opera House Gallery on February 24. Aboriginal and Maori people will join in a traditional dawn ceremony to mark the opening of the show, which one exhibitor, a painter, Robyn Kahukiwa, described as a cultural exchange between two indigenous peoples. Other contemporary Maori artists featured in the exhibition are the painters, Sandy Adsett and Darcy Nicholas; a sculptor, Fred Graham; the carvers, Cliff Whiting, and Rangi Hetet; and a weaver, Erenora Puk-etapu-Hetet. The idea was developed after discussions between Robyn Kahukiwa and Joe Croft, cultural officer in Australia’s Department of Aboriginal Affairs. Wanganui’s Sarjeant Art Gallery helped curate the exhibition, which intends to show the people ot Australia contemporary Maori art, from traditional areas through to new expressions.

“The work of these artists shows the strength and confidence that is now emerging in work by Maori artists,” said Mr Bill Milbank, director of the Gallery. The exhibition will run at the Opera House from February 24 to March 6, and will then tour regional art galleries throughout Australia, especially in towns with larger Aboriginal communities.