07 Aug 2019
Two artists have been selected to explore the rich archives of Bishop Museum Library & Archives (Hawaiʻi), in a pilot Wānanga | Wānana Residency offered by Bishop Museum in partnership with Creative New Zealand.
The successful art practitioners, chosen from an impressive range of quality applications, are:
Ngahina Hohaia (Taranaki, Ngāti Moeahu, Ngāti Haupoto)
Julian Arahanga (Te Atihaunui-a-Paparangi, Ngāti Raukawa)
Director of Bishop Museum Library & Archives Leah Caldeira said “Applicants to the Wānanga | Wānana Research Residency were diverse and impressive. Their proposals conveyed an ardent dedication to their work and a sincere desire to connect with the archive of Te Rangihiroa.”
Creative New Zealand Senior Manager, Arts Development Services, Cath Cardiff said “We are thrilled with the overwhelming interest shown by artists and practitioners to this very first residency. The desire to research a largely unknown historical relationship between Māori and Kanaka Maoli was evident. Creative New Zealand acknowledges the need to support this important exchange and looks forward to the outcomes of the dialogue.”
Recipient Ngahina Hohaia said “As a Parihaka contemporary artist, I have been deeply moved by the awareness that Te Rangihiroa was renowned for – his mastery of plaiting, weaving and lashing techniques. I am eager to explore his legacy and delve into his archives, especially his field notebooks and the Ethnology Collection to research the parallels, connections and distinctions in weaving practices of taonga.”
Filmmaker, writer and researcher Julian Arahanga said “With this opportunity comes a great responsibility to honour the legacy of Te Rangihiroa. I think of many things, I think of the people of the Pacific, their historical connections and how in this time it is so important that we reignite those connections and all that it means.”
Curator and tuākana (mentor) for the residency, Ngahiraka Mason said “The two recipients will have the opportunity to study in Te Rangihiroa's archive. His humour, opinions, questioning, and literary understandings come alive in his manuscripts and letters, of which some are in his hand.”
Leah said “We are honoured to welcome and host the two Wānanga | Wānana Research Residency artists. We hope the sharing of the cultural resources we care for, and our time together inspires them and is the start of a lasting relationship between us.”
Wānanga | Wānana Residency Recipients 2019
Ngahina Hohaia (Taranaki, Ngāti Moeahu, Ngāti Haupoto)
A multi-medium artist who draws on customary weaving techniques and material to inform practice.
“This as an important opportunity to honour the legacy of Te Rangihīroa moving forward. His many years of working away from Aotearoa has meant that the significance of his legacy has not always been identified as much as other Māori leaders of his day. His research extended far beyond Aotearoa and Hawai’i in to many other parts of the Pacific. As a mokopuna of Taranaki Maunga, this opportunity to connect with his legacy on a deeper level, will be enriching and will impact greatly on the future of my own artistic practice as a maker, a weaver and visual storyteller of my people.
Furthermore, I anticipate the opportunity to exchange my learning with others, and to build on an ongoing pathway of wānanga and whanaungatanga, between Kanaka Maoli and Taranaki maunga in the future.”
Selected Biography
- Master of Māori Visual Arts, Massey University 2011
- New Generation Award, Arts Foundation of New Zealand 2010
- Creative New Zealand Emerging Māori Artist Award 2007
- National and International Exhibitions
Photo credit: Natalie Robertson 2019
Julian Arahanga (Te Atihaunui-a-Paparangi, Ngāti Raukawa)
Filmmaker, Writer, Researcher
“I want to immerse myself in the Bishop Museum archive and begin the creation of what will be the road map for a production that will stretch to all reaches of the Pacific Ocean, “Polynesia - Artistic Exploration of the Life’s Work of Te Rangihiroa / Sir Peter Buck”. I hope to learn new things and then share that knowledge with the people of the Pacific and the world. I hope to strengthen connections and form bonds from trust, togetherness and understanding. This is a personal journey that in the end will bring new light for many. The production will be spread over years and we hope to break the mould of the western paradigm of process. We hope to work in a unique way where wānanga comes first and all else flows from this.”
Selected Biography
-
Film & Television Writer, Director, Producer, Researcher over a 30 year career
- Behind the Brush documentary series 2014 - 2019
- Artefact, television series 2017
- Beyond the Battalion documentary 2016
- Songs From the Inside television series, 2011 - 2015
- Turangarere Born to Fly documentary 2009
- Dancing in the Sky documentary 2008
About the Wānanga | Wānana Residency
Te Rangihiroa (Sir Peter Buck) is a prominent driver for the Wānanga | Wānana Research Residency. He served as a Director of the Bishop Museum from 1936 until his death in 1951. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Hawai’i, Mānoa in 1948, exemplifying his dedication to a continued relationship between Kanaka Maoli and Māori.
Two Māori and Kanaka Maoli artists or practitioners (teina/mentees) will work alongside tuākana (mentors) in the Bishop Museum to study the Bishop Muesum collection and the archives of Te Rangihiroa, Sir Peter Buck.
The residency is part of Creative New Zealand’s Cultural & Art Form Exchange Programme which works with Mana Whenua and other First Nation communities to increase the visibility and understanding of how First Nation histories influence contemporary artistic expression. The programme supports residencies in which diverse and dynamic interactions help to develop innovative arts practice, identify new markets and further international cultural links.
Bishop Museum Library & Archives
The Bishop Museum Library & Archives had its beginnings in the personal collections of Charles Reed Bishop and Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, as well as other members of the Hawaiian royal families. Since the founding of the Museum in 1889, the Library & Archives has grown to encompass the most varied collection of published works and primary source materials in the world related to Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. Library holdings include rare books, periodicals, newspapers, and special collection of published material.
The Archives house collections of manuscripts, photographs, artwork, oral histories, sound recordings, moving images, and maps, as well as the results of studies done by Museum staff in various disciplines throughout the Pacific. In many cases, these holdings are unique to the Library & Archives.
The Library & Archives collection reflects the historical and contemporary research of Bishop Museum curators and scientists as well as the interests of its Hawaiian and Pacific communities. Bishop Museum is open to the public and proudly serves more than 200,000 visitors each year. To learn more about the Museum’s research, collections, exhibits, and programs, visit www.bishopmuseum.org
Creative New Zealand
Creative New Zealand is a Crown entity governed by the Arts Council. The council encourages, promotes and supports New Zealand arts to benefit all New Zealanders. It upholds the right to artistic freedom and promotes a New Zealand identity in the arts.
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