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Robyn Kahukiwa
Robyn Kahukiwa
	Robin Kahukiwa in her studio, 1995
Born	1938; Sydney, Australia
Nationality	New Zealand
Known for	Painting; Writing; Illustration

Robyn Kahukiwa (born 1938) is an Australian-born New Zealand artist, award-winning children's book author, and illustrator. Kahukiwa has created a significant collection of paintings, books, prints, drawings, and sculptures.^[2]

Life

Kahukiwa was born in Sydney, in 1938. She trained as a commercial artist and later moved to New Zealand at the age of nineteen.^[3] Kahukiwa's early artworks were inspired by discovering her Māori heritage,^[4]^[5] which she began doing after moving to New Zealand.^[6]

Māori on her mother's side, Kahukiwa is of Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Konohi and Whanau-a-Ruataupare descent.

Career

From 1972 to 1980, Kahukiwa was a regular exhibitor at the Academy in Wellington.

In 1984, Kahukiwa gained prominence in New Zealand after her exhibition Wāhine Toa (strong women), which toured the country.^[7]^[6] This exhibition drew on Māori myth and symbolism. One of the pieces, Hinetītama, is in the permanent collection at Te Manawa.^[8]

In 1995, Kahukiwa exhibited a series named My Ancestors Are Always with Me in New York.^[6]

In 2011, Kahukiwa was awarded with the Te Tohu Toi Kē Award from Te Waka Toi, the Māori arm of Creative New Zealand.^[2]

Influences

Kahukiwa's work often deals with themes of colonialism and the dispossession of indigenous people, motherhood and blood-ties, social custom and mythology.^[9] In a 2004 article, Kahukiwa implements "political activism in subject matter and method into powerful images that assert Māori identity and tradition."^[10] She is a "staunch supporter of Māori rights and the power and prestige of Māori women."^[11] Kahukiwa's works are influenced by Colin McCahon, Ralph Hotere and Frida Kahlo.^[7]

Publications

Taniwha (1986)
Paikea (1993)
The Koroua and the Mauri Stone (1994)
Kēhua (1996)
iharaira hohepa (2024)
Supa Heroes: Te Wero (2000)
Koha (2003)
Matatuhi (2007)
The forgotten Taniwha (2009)
Tutu Taniwha (2010)
Te Marama (2011)
The Boy and the Dolphin (2016)
Ngā Atua: Māori Gods (2016)
the bitten Maori kuri (2024)

With writer Patricia Grace:

The Kuia and the Spider (1981)
Watercress Tuna and the Children of Champion Street (1984)
Wāhine Toa: Women of Māori Myth (1984)

With Joy Cowley:

Grandma's stick (1982)
Hatupatu and the birdwoman (1982)

With Rangimarie Sophie Jolley:

The Blue Book (2014)

Awards

1994 LIANZA Young People's Non-Fiction Award (now known as Elsie Locke Award) for Paikea^[12]
2011 Te Tohu Toi Kē | Making a Difference Award^[13]

References

^ Hilliard, Hinemoa, Edward Lucie-Smith, and Jonathan Mane-Wheoki. The Art of Robyn Kahukiwa Reed, 2005.
^ ^a ^b "Bowen Galleries :: Artists Catalogue". www.bowengalleries.co.nz. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
^ Kirker, Anne. New Zealand Women Artists Reed Methuen, 1986
^ "Robyn Kahukiwa". Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
^ Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (2005). Treasures from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Te Papa Press. p. 73. ISBN 1-877385-12-3.
^ ^a ^b ^c Caughey, Elizabeth; Gow, John (1997). Contemporary New Zealand Art 1. Everbest Printing. pp. 38–39. ISBN 1-86953-218-X.
^ ^a ^b Dunn, Michael. New Zealand Painting: A Concise History Auckland University Press, 2004
^ "Maori goddess returns to Te Manawa". Stuff.
^ Mane-Wheoki, Jonathan.The Art of Robyn Kahukiwa Reed, 2005
^ BAILEY, GAIL (16 November 2004). "Warrior for Maori rights and identity". NZ Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
^ "Robyn Kahukiwa | Adam Art Gallery". www.adamartgallery.org.nz. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
^ Susan Leckey, ed. (2015). The Europa Directory of Literary Awards and Prizes. Routledge. p. 165. ISBN 9781135356323. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
^ "Te Waka Toi Awards".