Whetūrangitia

This Matariki we honour our emerging voices – young creatives navigating innovation, transformation and potential through a world woven by the stars long before them. Informed by Whetūrangitia our next exhibition presents local West Auckland rangatahi including Kākano Youth Arts Collective, Kelston Boys’ High School and Liston College.

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Kākano Arts Youth Collective presents Te Kore, Te Pō, Te Ao Mārama  
 
Te Waka o Rangi safely holds our loved ones who have passed and as our year comes to an end, we get see to Matariki and say our final farewell. This can also speak to our own past lives and how far we have come. Whetū as place holders, reflect back to us the strength of our own personal growth and development as the cycle of the year begins again. This is a space held for wānanga and reset which honours reconnection with whakapapa as a reclamation of wairua and the self. Through this mana enhancing practice, Matariki brings us back together through our shared experiences. 

Introducing artists Rory Carlyle, Marshall Hepana, Ty Howson, Sarah Kaulima and Tory Whiting. 
 
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Kelston Boys’ High School presents He Tauā, He Taonga:  A symbol of mourning, healing, reflection, renewal 

In te Ao Māori, the wearing of tauā – head garlands crafted from kawakawa or other native foliage – holds deep cultural and spiritual significance.  Traditionally worn during times of mourning, these sacred adornments convey a person’s grief and respect for those who have passed.  They are a visible expression of ones mamae (pain, deep sadness), aroha (love) and the enduring bond between the living, the departed and spiritual connection to our tūpuna (ancestors).   

As ngā whētu o Matariki ascends to herald the dawn of te tau hou Māori, we pause to honour the memory of those who have passed. The tauā becomes not just a symbol of sorrow but a taonga that weaves the past to the present, ushering a moment for remembrance, healing, reflection and renewed hope for the future. 

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Liston College presents Constellation of Memory 

In response to Whetūrangitia, Liston College students explore the notion of home as a constellation of memory, absence and inherited knowledge. Just as Matariki invites reflection on those who have passed, their works consider how home is constructed, not only through the physical space, but through what is remembered, reimagined or longed for.  
 
These works speak to the layered dimensions of home. As whenua and shelter, as memory and loss, as sound, labour and lineage. Drawing from familial, different cultural perspectives and lived experiences and geographical references, the works hold space for the tensions between what is known and what is felt, what is passed down and what must be remade. 

Together they form a constellation of gestures, not only of remembrance but of return. In the spirit of Matariki, they remind us that home is not fixed, but formed through our shared efforts to remember, reconnect and create anew. 

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About the Artists

Kākano Youth Arts Collective was developed from a pilot programme in 2013 as a response to recognising the needs of some of the most vulnerable young people in West Auckland embracing those that mainstream education were unable to nurture. Based on the Corban Estate and led by Mandy Patmore and Jermaine Reihana, rangatahi use art as a vehicle to harness motivation and use this as a pathway to develop life skills and work ethic.

Kelston Boys' High School is represented by students from Onewherowhero Hīkina, a bilingual pathway. Ngā ākonga Māori are supported to succeed in both te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā through a curriculum grounded in te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, and mātauranga Māori. The unit embraces culturally responsive pedagogy that honours Māori ways of knowing, being, and doing. It nurtures a strong sense of identity, belonging, and pride, while equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and qualifications to thrive in both worlds.

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Curator Tour
Join CEAC’s Curator and Exhibition Manager, Java Bentley for a tour of Whetūrangitia
Friday 4 July 2025
11am - 12pm
All welcome, bookings not required

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Main Image: 'Api / Home (2025), Giovanni Siasau, Liston College

Installation Images: Ralph Brown