Aaron Scythe, Yobitsugi Style Vase #5, 2019.
Porcelain, stoneware, glaze. Collection of The Dowse Art Museum, purchased with the assistance of the Blumhardt Foundation 2021
Hana Rakena, Inlet Vase 2020. Hand-built groggy uku (clay), terrasigillata. Collection of The Dowse Art Museum, purchased with the assistance of the Blumhardt Foundation 2021
This exhibition highlights a selection of uku (clay) works in the Dowse collection by nine Māori artists; Paerau Corneal, Davina Duke, Stevei Houkāmau, Tracy Keith, Manos Nathan, Hana Rakena, Baye Riddell, Aaron Scythe, and Wi Taepa.
The title Whenua Whatu describes the weaving together of connections and whakapapa (lineage) that is such an integral element of toi Māori (Māori arts). From its grounding as a movement in the mid-1980s with the establishment of Ngā Kaihanga Uku - Māori Clay Artist Collective, uku practice has continued to grow and evolve over the intervening decades reflecting the changing social, cultural and political environment of Aotearoa.
Coming from around Aotearoa and across the history of contemporary practice, this exhibition showcases the diversity and uniqueness of each artist’s approach. Whether they have been mentored by experts in the field or have come to uku through alternative pathways, these makers, and their works each demonstrate the adaptivity and versatility of the whenua (earth).
Tracy Keith, Taniwha, 2019. Raku fired uku (clay). Collection Dowse Art Museum, purchased 2019