Explicit art cut from exhibition

Artist Chanz Mikaere (left), with her cousin and artist Richard Kereopa, won't be displaying her artwork at a district council exhibition after it was deemed too provocative. Photo / Ben Fraser

Artwork depicting male and female genitalia has been cut from an exhibition hosted by the Rotorua District Council, but artists involved believe the move is "silencing their voice".

Chanz Mikaere was invited to take part in an exhibition next month featuring artists of Te Arawa descent. Her work was to be seen alongside art by her cousin Richard Kereopa and Michael Staite in the council's galleria, the public space that leads into the Council Chamber and council meeting rooms.

Image 1 of 4: Artwork by Chanz Mikaere

Click here to see the artworks. Some content may offend.

Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick told the Rotorua Daily Post the works, particularly those with "larger than life representations of genitalia" were deemed inappropriate for display in a public venue regularly used by children, community groups and international visitors.

Ms Mikaere questioned why she was invited to submit work when her particular style was well-known.

"The brief was quite open, you needed to be first and foremost Te Arawa and submit works that would be challenging," she said.

"I had these in mind anyway, I've been working on them for years and as soon as this exhibition came up I thought this would be perfect. If you Google me, all my work has genitalia in them - this isn't anything new."

To be included was her piece entitled Taiahahahaha which was about the lack of consultation surrounding the restructuring of the Te Arawa Standing Committee, she said.

"The taiaha was traditionally used as a symbol of hapu conflict resolution. But council is far more interested in Te Arawa business entities and not the hapu.

What do you think - should the artworks have been cut from the exhibition? Comment below or click the opinion link above to send a letter to the editor

"There has been a lack of consultation with hapu and that is why there's a flaccid penis - it denotes disempowerment."

Ms Mikaere said by her standards she exercised "extreme restraint."

"They said there were looking for politically polite. The issue for me here is lack of process in strategy and consultation."

Mr Kereopa supported his cousin's artwork and the message she conveyed with it.

"There's a huge pou in the council covered in genitalia. Why is there a standard for a wahine when the same thing is not applied to carvers, why is the context different?" he said.

"You ask Chanz and any artist, they create a way to provide a voice. Is the artwork being silenced or the voices communicating the issue made to be silent?"

Ms Mikaere was invited to resubmit different work for the exhibition, but has refused saying it was censorship.

Mrs Chadwick said Ms Mikaere and her works were highly respected and the council understood that contemporary art could be provocative, confronting and challenging. We have no issues generally with Chanz's other works and we certainly don't want to stifle cultural debate or creative expression.

"In fact, allowing our Galleria walls to be used as a community gallery is exactly so we can facilitate such debate and expression.

"Our view is that many parents would not appreciate their children being accidentally exposed to these images without their express permission. So for that reason we've invited Chanz to provide alternative artworks for the first Galleria exhibition," Mrs Chadwick said.