NANCY: Annabel Bowen’s (Rongomaiwahine) oil on canvas entry depicts the artist’s great grandmother, Nancy.
Portraits featuring whakairo (carving), raranga (weaving), photography, ceramics and oil paintings are among works shortlisted in the Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award, the country’s first portraiture award in honour of Kiingi Tuheitia.
Among the 50 finalists from this region who were selected from 128 entries were Kataraina Poi, Karaitiana Akroyd, Nathaniel
Nathan, Annabel Bowen and Nikau Hindin. Their entries will form the finalists exhibition.
The award is a partnership between the Office of the Kiingitanga and the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pukenga Whakaata. It was launched to inspire a new generation of emerging Maori artists to create portraits of their tupuna (ancestors).
Artists were given an opportunity to showcase their talent on a national stage while competing for a first prize of $20,000, and runner-up, and people’s choice award of $2500 respectively.
The finalist artworks were judged by a panel made up of tohunga taa moko and kapa haka exponent Sir Derek Lardelli; artist, teacher and activist, Kura Te Waru Rewiri and artist Lisa Reihana, who is known around the world for her portraits and digital art.
