Ngaahina Hohaia | |
---|---|
Born | 1975 |
Nationality | New Zealand |
Movement | Contemporary Māori Art |
Ngaahina Hohaia (born 1975) is a visual artist and weaver of Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Moeahu, Ngāti Haupoto and Greek descent from Parihaka, New Zealand.[1]
Hohaia has artistic influences from her grandmothers. Her Māori grandmother was a weaver and Greek grandmother was a painter.[2]
Ngaahina gained a Masters in Māori Visual Arts from Toioho ki Āpiti in 2009 and in 2010 received the Arts Foundation of New Zealand New Generation Award.[3][2] In 2007 Hohaia received the Te Waka Toi Ngā Karapihi award.
Her work often draws from Parihaka history and has been exhibited nationally and internationally.[4] Her contemporary art work uses traditional fibres combined with metals and silks.[2] Items she has created include jewellery and adornment pieces, sculpture and large-scale multimedia installations.[3]
Wellington's City Gallery opened a new gallery space Roderick and Gillian Deane Gallery for Maori and Pacific Art in 2009 with a large installation by Hohaia made up of over 500 poi created from natural fibre including woolen blankets. The work honours the messages of peace from Parihaka leaders Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kakahi.[5][6]
Hundreds of people gathered at Ōwairaka mountain in Auckland in 2020 in solidarity for Hohaia after she made a complaint with the New Zealand police about a racial attack on her. Māori leaders spoke out against the decision made by the police not to prosecute.[11]