Te Whanau Marama

Te Whānau Marama translates from te reo Māori as ‘the family of the moon’ and refers to the celestial bodies; Te Marama (moon), Ngā Whetū (stars), Hinātore (phosphorous light), Parikoikoi (gloomy light) and Hinerauāmoa (small stars).

These stars guided Māori across the Pacific Ocean and played a pivotal role in Māori agriculture, fishing, hunting, and cultural activities. They have been used to foretell weather conditions of coming seasons as well as predict the most auspicious times for performing important ceremonial rites.

The theme of Te Whananu Marama was chosen by Toihoukura for their exhibition to acknowledge the appearance of the Matariki stars at this time, also known as the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus, which signal the beginning of the Māori New Year.

Toihoukura School of Māori Visual Arts provides a Māori model of learning that sets it apart from other institutions. The focus of Toihoukura is to ensure the continuing development of art forms that are specifically Māori. This is promoted through the development of, and participation in an arts ‘wānanga’ learning environment that encourages the personal and professional development of every student using traditional concepts to inform contemporary art expression.