We are a collective of queer-māori artists based in Whanganui a Tara. Many māori of today are displaced from whakapapa and community and we feel the call to bring community together and provide a sense of belonging and safety especially for our queer whanaunga.
We envision a shared studio space to practice our craft alongside our indigenous values of whakawhanaungatanga, manaakitanga & kaitiakitanga. We know that with these methods of nurture and connection we can empower artists to fulfill their greatest creative potential. We envision awesome bursts of creative output and collaboration, a space to share pūrakau while we paint, a space to get inspired, and be supported.
As tāngata whenua our relation to the natural world and whakapapa is like the blood to our veins, and in a reality where environmental desecration is at large what do the landscapes of our identity now look like? When we can’t be in symbiosis with nature which defines our cultural identity how can we find belonging? Our passion is to create a safe space and platform for our takatāpui community.
Imagining beautiful sacred gatherings of our people, Imagining koauau playing and kauri smoke, kawakawa pani, a table full of Kai, sharing whakaaro and collaborating, fierce queer photoshoots, dance, poi, raranga, guest artists, a shared online shop, home videos and wholesome korero. Manu feathers and paint, the smell of harakeke and sound of poetry, we are imagining a queer wharenui decorated in our artwork, with our interpretations of our tupuna and of takatāpui.
We want to be able to exhibit works that focus on exploring these questions of identity, of anthropocene grief, of takatāpui and envisioning indigenous futures as we become the queer ancestors we dream of.
Values:
Whanaungatanga
- Our focus is to form and maintain relationships and strengthen the bonds within our community by providing a foundation for connection and a sense of belonging.
- Mutual aid, a solidarity based support network with the understanding that the systems we live in are not meeting our needs and that no individual should be left to fend for themselves.
- To create a space free of judgement and full of encouragement and support, we do not gate keep Māori and we deal with conflict in a TJ/RJ approach
- A space to share waiata and other taonga while acknowledging the mamae and whakamā of being colonised and displaced, this is a space to nurture and uplift one another, not a competitive space.
- A safe space to learn and share and absorb the Mauri that we create together
Manaakitanga
- Showing care for each-other’s wellbeing, empathy and respect
- Showing kindness, hospitality, generosity and support to each other and to all who engage with our kaupapa
Kaitiakitanga
- Acknowledging our ancestors and our beautiful whenua and how we can take care of it in these times of environmental devastation and climate change.
- Climate crisis and how to navigate connecting to our whenua as displaced and indigenous peoples. How do we care for the land that sustains us, thinking about kai sustainability, papakainga, enviro restoration and #landback
- mirimiri/rongoa, acknowledging our body sovereignty and what it means to be kaitiakitanga of our tinana, wairua and the medicine that comes with our connection to te taiao