For the artists included in Matarau, lived experience and their artwork are completely connected. On opening day join exhibition curator Shannon Te Ao as he leads a discussion to open up the space in conversation.  

The word Matarau refers to a multi-pronged spear used for fishing and eeling by early Māori. As a hunter or wayfinder must understand the shifting conditions around them to fulfil their purpose; the work of the artists in Matarau draw from a strong sense of who and where they are as a compass for their own practice. 

Awareness of time, place and experience all drive the work of the artists featured in Matarau.

Shannon Te Ao (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is an artist, writer and curator whose current research interests include performance and video art practices. The majority of Te Ao's recent artistic output has seen him investigating and responding to material drawn from Māori paradigms, testing the implications of alternative creative, social and linguistic models in relation to contemporary video art and other performative practices. 

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