Te Arawa Art

Te Raukura Gallery, Rotorua. Image Supplied by Rotorua Tourism.

The Arawa people have hosted visitors to Rotorua in the central North Island since the 1880s and there’s no better way for them to share their stories and history than through their art. Step into any art gallery in Rotorua and you’ll get a strong sense of Rotorua’s deep Maori heritage; but one that stands out for me is Te Raukura (The Red Feather) Gallery, which specialises in authentic contemporary and traditional Maori art. Owner, June Northcroft Grant (TeArawa, Tuwharetoa, Tuhourangi-Ngati Wahiao) is an artist herself – her works strongly influenced by her tribal histories and tupuna (ancestors) - and she has an extensive knowledge of printmaking, painting, weaving, bone carving and ceramics. She talks about a thriving Maori art scene in Rotorua: “Te Puia is the centre of customary artwork and Tarawhai Carving School at Okataina and the Ngati Whakaue Carving School at Ohinemutu have been a strong part of the community and Maori life since the late 1880s,” she says. "New contemporary works abound too with artists referencing the tupuna art to produce exciting works in paint, clay and other mediums.”