Matariki Food Drive Exhibition

An exhibition at The Learning Connexion Gallery which celebrated Matariki.

As the marking of the Lunar New Year, Matariki is a time to consider the renewal and change that is a constant in life; to celebrate the year past and make plans for the year to come.

Traditionally, Matariki is closely tied to planting, harvesting and hunting. Those core concerns around providing for ourselves and our loved ones remain. In recent years for more and more of us, these concerns around reliably providing life’s basic necessities have become pressing, even urgent issues.

The artwork included in this exhibition were from an overflow of works originally made for two projects undertaken by students in TLC’s Restricted Programmes – those students studying our qualifications from prisons around Aotearoa. One set were “kites” celebrating Matariki. The second set of works were “plates” created over the past few years in support of the Rimutaka Prison’s Gate to Plate event.

Fitting with concepts central within mātauranga Māori (and many other indigenous and traditional knowledge systems and world views) such as balance and reciprocity, these works which represent an abundance (more work than we had space for) in their own context, are utilised here with the intent that they draw awareness to and help alleviate an essential and growing material need in another.