Maori Culture by John Huria - New Zealand's South Island - page 653

But the best displays of haka are at the national Te Matatini National Kapa Haka
Festival when NZ's top groups compete. It is held every two years, with the next festival
in February 2015 to take place in Christchrch.
For information on Maori arts today, check out Toi Maori www.maoriart.org.nz .
Contemporary Visual Art
A distinctive feature of Maori visual art is the tension between traditional Maori ideas and
modern artistic mediums and trends. Shane Cotton produced a series of works that con-
versed with 19th-century painted meeting houses, which themselves departed from Maori
carved houses. Kelcy Taratoa uses toys, superheroes and pop urban imagery alongside
weaving and carving design.
Of course not all Maori artists use Maori motifs. Ralph Hotere is a major NZ artist who
'happens to be Maori' (his words), and his career-long exploration of black speaks more
to modernism than the traditional marae context.
Contemporary Maori art is by no means only about painting. Many other artists use in-
stallations as the preferred medium - look out for work by Jacqueline Fraser and Peter
Robinson.
There are some great permanent exhibitions of Maori visual arts in the major centres.
Both the Auckland and Christchurch Art Galleries hold strong collections, as does Wel-
lington's Te Papa. Note that the Christchurch Art Gallery was closed for repairs after the
earthquakes at the time of writing.
Contemporary Theatre
The 1970s saw the emergence of many Maori playwrights and plays, and theatre is a
strong area of the Maori arts today. Maori theatre drew heavily on the traditions of the
marae . Instead of dimming the lights and immediately beginning the performance, many
Maori theatre groups began with a stylised powhiri, had space for audience members to
respond to the play, and ended with a karakia or a farewell.
Taki Rua is an independent producer of Maori work for both children and adults and
has been in existence for over 25 years. As well as staging its shows in the major centres,
it tours most of its work - check out its website ( www.takirua.co.nz ) for the current offer-
ings. Maori drama is also often showcased at the professional theatres in the main centres
as well as the biennial New Zealand International Festival. Hone Kouka and Briar Grace-