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The exhibition Pohewa Pāhewa: a Māori design kaupapa, staged at Objectspace in 2023, began a kōrero about design in te ao Māori.

Get tickets to join us for a full-day symposium further interrogating ideas and pātai that formed around this exhibition and help shape the future of our five year programme on kaupapa Māori design.

Through panel discussions, lectures and case studies, this symposium will offer insights into design practice in Aotearoa today and create space to consider the potential and challenges our future holds.

Featuring Zoe Black, Ngaio Cowell, Leonie Kapea Hayden, Kaan Hiini, The Hori, Hori-Te-Ariki Mataki, Bernard Makoare, Raymond Otene McKay, Kiri Nathan, Tyrone Ohia, Julie Paama-Pengelly, Critical., Chloē Reweti, Manawa Tapu, Graham Tipene, Raukura Turei, Desna Whaanga-Schollum and Johnson Witehira.

Advertising and design agency Run Aotearoa will activate the gallery during the symposium with support from Phantom Billstickers.

Read the full programme below.

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Tickets:

General: $70
Unwaged & Student Rate: $20

Your tickets provide access to the full programme of events, including the opening event Ockham Lecture: Te Tīmata: To begin on the evening of Thursday 5 September and the full-day symposium Friday.

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Pohewa Pāhewa Māori Design Symposium Programme

Presentation: Julie Paama-Pengelly

For nearly four three decades, Julie Paama-Pengelly (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāi Tūwhiwhia, Ngāi Tauaiti, Ngāti Tapu) has steadfastly navigated the contemporary Māori art ecosystem through teaching, contemporary practice, tā moko, curatorship, authorship and strategic leadership. In this presentation titled, Māori through the looking glass, Julie will discuss the way we frame Māori design and our struggles to see beyond the limits.

Panel: Championing Māori design kaipakihi
Hori Te Ariki Mataki and Raymond Otene McKay, chaired by Johnson Witehira

Three leaders within design studio practice offer their whakaaro, delving into the ways in which they navigate growing Māori business within the creative industries.

Hori (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou, Te Ati Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Kauwhata) is the kaihautū and creative lead at Ariki Creative in Ōtautahi. Raymond (Ngaati Mahuta, Ngāti Pūkeko, Ngāti Rongomawahine, Ngāti Porou) is the co-founder of Run agency in Tāmaki Makaurau. Johnson (Tamahaki, Ngāi Tū-te-auru) is the co-founder and director at IDIA in Pōneke. 

Short presentations: Thirty meneti to kōrero
Four presenters kōrero for thirty minutes about how they do what they do.

The Hori

Ōtaki artist The Hori aka Hohepa Thompson (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Kai Tahu) draws attention to political issues in his design practice. Among other projects, he is known for The Hori clothing, recent Toitū Te Tiriti and This Is Aotearoa activations, and Auraki, a digital art character designed to enter media companies to assess and support them with cultural competency.

Critical.

Critical. produces recycled plastic panel, made in Aotearoa from 100% recycled waste. Critical. is grounded in responding to the mauri of te taiao, building both the products and the technology platform to transform plastic waste into beautiful, low carbon and endlessly recyclable materials. To empower the next generation of buildings that would make mokopuna proud.

Manawa Tapu

Tristan Marler (Te Rarawa, Te Aupouri) is Manawa Tapu, an artist trained in Whakairo Rākau and specialisingin Tā Moko. Over the past few years, Tristan has expanded his practice to include jewellery making, clothing design and commercial design; working alongside a digital agency to create campaigns for companies such as Kiwibank. 

Ngaio Cowell

Ngaio Cowell (Ngaati Te Ata Te Waiohua, Waikato, Ngāti Porou) is a self-described haututū and ringatoi based in Ōhinehau- Lyttleton. Primarily working within the realm of Te Whare Pora, she likes to work with te taiao in mind, primarily using natural dyes and resources, but more recently has moved into the public arts, designing large scale weaving inspired paving for her iwi in Tāmaki Makaurau. 

Presentation: Kaan Hiini

Kaan believes that to create meaningful change we need to rethink how we work. His presentation will consider if current design methodologies fail to address our most pressing social issues — and typically centre the needs and perspectives of the status quo — what could an equitable design process, informed by Indigenous principles look like.

Kaan Hiini (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Te Arawa) is the Design Director at Curative, a creative agency inspiring positive social change. His work has been fundamental in shaping Curative’s projects – from development, cultural guidance, co-design and implementation – right from year one.

Panel: Wāhine in design
Chloē Reweti, Kiri Nathan and Raukura Turei, chaired by Leonie Kapea Hayden

Leonie Kapea Hayden (Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara, Ngāti Rango) will lead this kōrero with Chloē Reweti (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Porou), Kiri Nathan (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Paoa) and Raukura Turei (Ngaitai ki Tamaki, Nga Rauru ki Tahi). The mahi of these wāhine traverses mediums and methodologies and can be seen as an insight into the bright future of Māori design practice. They will share what it means to centre te ao Māori in their work.