Hemi Macgregor: Waiora / 27 September 2025 – 22 February 2026
Category
Current Exhibitions
Hemi Macgregor ‘Te Pō Tangotango’ 2022
Hemi Macgregor
Waiora
In this solo exhibition, Hemi Macgregor explores the spiritual elements that connect humans to the external worlds of te taiao, te taimoana, te taiwhenua and into tātai tuarangi (the cosmos). Working across painting, sculpture and installation, Macgregor draws on geometric structures, patterns and processes found in raranga, tukutuku and taniko. Pūrākau are referenced throughout the exhibition to reflect our connection with the sky, water, earth, and seasons.
Waiora acknowledges Tane Te Waiora and the role of the environment in contributing to human wellness, which is implicitly linked to kaitiakitanga. Through the intersection of whakapapa, mātauranga, pūrākau and te reo me o na tikanga, Waiora identifies a series of genealogical webs that traverse time and space, acknowledging how te mana o ngā atua shapes te ao marama.
Although grounded in the celebration of the enduring mana of the atua, Waiora also responds to the effects of industrialisation and colonisation on the natural environment. Today, we desperately search for approaches that enable sustainable ecological and economic systems. It is here where Māori cultural beliefs and practices, like many Indigenous cultures, understand the universe as a holistic interconnected system where nothing exists in isolation. This is the grounding principle of kaitiakitanga where we see that all things must be understood as relevant to their relationships and connections.
by Curator, Cecelia Kumeroa