Based on the wisdom and understanding of old, Āhuru Mōwai means nurturing human life from conception; the parent as first teacher, first heartbeat, first soul, first sound, and first scent. The womb provides this place of perfection, a sheltering haven, warmth and calm—all the essential elements required to sustain the beginning of life. This July, the gallery space will be transformed into a wharenui of contemporary art; whakairo artists Natanahira Te Pona, Uenuku Hawira and Adrian Mokonuiarangi join fibre artist and guest curator Louise Davis to form the structure of a whare, to be filled with rakau (plants) by rongoā kaiako Judy Henderson and pieces made from locally-harvested uku (clay) courtesy of Fiona Newton. Paintings by Tony Brown accommodate prints by Ben Thomason, and woven kete by the Corban’s Weaving Circle will be further encased in the notes of sound artist Murphy Wiperi.

You will see each artist in Āhuru Mōwai incorporate ancestral skills of old with their dreams of the future, providing a holistic experience for viewers through a foliage of scent, sight, sound, energy and life force. This immersive environment allows audiences to connect to their senses and Te Ao Māori, honouring Te Ao Wairua, the world of spirits, and Te Ao Hurihuri, the changing world.