title: Taonga Tuku Iho 2025
artist: Te Rangitu Netana (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Rangitihi)
medium: giclée print, archival inks on archival paper 300gsm.
signed and numbered limited edition of 50
dimensions: 50cm x 40cm
TAONGA TUKU IHO
Treasures passed down from our Tupuna (ancestors). In tribute to the contemporary Māori artists of the eighties who forged new paths to express their own narratives and worldviews. Pushing boundaries to disrupt and re-envisage the sacred traditions of the past into their now, and our future, into our moemoeā (dreams).
The Tohorā (whale) moves toward Io (supreme being) tethered to its origins, to Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa (Pacific Ocean), as Māori to the umbilical cord at birth and to Papatūānuku (earth being). The flight of Tūhoronuku, the manu tū (kite) of Rāhiri who brought peace to the north, and the Wairere (waterfall), whose patterns reflect the tears of Ranginui (sky being) for his beloved Papatūānuku.
This limited edition print was created in March of 2025 from a high resolution scan of an original painting by Te Rangitu Netana. The painting is featured in the exhibition MOKO PUNA at Rainmaker Gallery.
Te Rangitu Netana
Te Rangitu Netana (b.1972) is a renowned Māori Tā Moko artist and designer from Aotearoa New Zealand.
