Kanapa ki Runga – Kanapa ki Raro translates to ‘the stars above, the shimmering waters below’.

Puanga is a time for wānanga, connection, remembrance and is a central theme for our exhibition titled Kanapa ki Runga – Kanapa ki Raro. Kanapa ki runga references the celestial realm. The night sky is a connection to both the past and the future. Kanapa ki raro grounds us in the earthly domain and places us in the present. A selection of local and national artists have been called to create works with this poetic phrase as inspiration. This exhibition is a way for each of the 14 featured artists to communicate their own aspirations or to create a work about past events that may have impacted their lives. The convergence of past, present and future yields a resonant beauty for Puanga, a time of inspiration.

Exhibiting artists: Aaron Te Rangiao Gardiner, Robert Jahnke, Isiaha Barlow, Israel Tangaroa Birch, Maiangi Waitai, Maihi Potaka, Matthew McIntyre Wilson, Melanie Tangaere Baldwin, Natasha Keating, Ngahina Hohaia, Rangi Kipa, Russ Flatt, Ta Piri o Te Rangi Pirikahu, Te Ururangi Rowe.