Ngākau Carving Symposium is back for its third year and kicks off next month in Thames between the 12th and 26th of April. With a fantastic lineup of artists, activities, and wānanga (workshops), this is a mahi toi event you do not want to miss! Ngākau this year has grown to 22 artists from Hauraki, across the motu, and the Pacific, including a carver from Bougainville.
The symposium is a place where professional and emerging artists can come together, create, share their skills, learn, and connect through whakairo (carving) in kōhatu (stone) and rākau (wood) on the grounds of Te Kura o Te Kauaeranga – Thames South School. This is a community event open to all during the April school holidays, and this year, it offers a great range of free mahi toi māori workshops taught by tangata whenua experts and local artists in each art form.
The symposium culminates in an art auction on Saturday the 27th, where the artworks created by the artists during the two weeks are auctioned off with proceeds going towards the kura.
The Ngākau committee are also calling for sponsors of the artists in the symposium, for $1,500 and in exchange, the sponsor will receive one carved sculpture made by the artist. You can also commission the artists to create a work.
They want business, organisations, and individuals who wish to become a sponsor, to contact them via their email: ngakaucommittee@gmail.com or contact Andre Barlow: 021 217 6876.
Below is a list of the workshops, all are FREE, other than the Tukutuku Wānanga run by TuiTui Designs.
Tukutuku Wānanga
13 April | Moana Williams | free
Tāne Wānanga
13 April | Jamie Watson | free
Tukutuku Wānanga
13 April | TuiTui Designs | $120 per person
Kowhaiwhai Wānanga
14- 20 April | Walter Baker | free
Māori Musical Instruments & Stone Cutting Wānanga
16-18 April | Jamie Watson | free
Raranga Wānanga | Collen Renata & Louise Humphry | free
date to be confirmed
lo Mata Hauora | Amber Andrew & Jo Shelford | free
date to be confirmed
Wood Carving Wānanga | Trif Sitnikoff | free
date to be confirmed
Screen Printing Wānanga | Tes | free
date to be confirmed
This year Ngākau is excited to have Joe Dutaona from Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, join the symposium and plans to reserve a space every year for an artist from the Pacific. You can read more about Joe and his carving career below.
Bougainville Carver Sees Living Of The Land As Key To Independence article in RNZ NEWS
For more information and to stay current about this upcoming event, follow Ngākau’s Facebook page
