Māori arts like carving and weaving celebrate the past and continue to evolve through fresh inspiration and new materials.
Toi, or Māori art, centres around four primary art forms; raranga (weaving), whakairo (carving), tā moko (tattooing) and peitatanga (painting).
Te Papa Tongarewa(opens in new window) and the Auckland Museum(opens in new window) both have impressive collections of traditional Māori arts and crafts. For contemporary Māori art, head to Wairau Māori Art Gallery(opens in new window). Here, you’ll find works by some of finest Māori artists working today.
Āhua Gallery(opens in new window), Te Papa Store(opens in new window) and Kura Gallery(opens in new window) are some of New Zealand’s best-known retailers of authentic Māori taonga arts and crafts. Always look for the Toi Iho(opens in new window) trademark as a guarantee of quality and authenticity.
To see how it’s done, head to the New Zealand Māori Arts & Craft Institute(opens in new window) in Rotoura for a glimpse of master carvers and weavers at work.