Star Gossage: He Tangata The People
30 April - 17 July 2022
Open daily 10am to 5pm
Free entry
Image credit: Whai (2011) by Star Gossage, private collection
He Tangata The People, is the first major survey of works by Paakiri-based painter Star Gossage (Ngaati Wai, Ngaati Ruanui) emerging from her wahine-based, female centred world.
It expresses the view that people are bound by wairua, whenua, whakapapa and whaanau - spirit, land, ancestry and family.
Spanning a 20-year period, the exhibition highlights her use of portrait and figure in the landscape. In portraying her day-to-day reality, themes of unity, grief, resilience, and aroha/love emerge.
Star paints people from memory and does not set out to depict specific individuals in her paintings, although people do emerge through the process. At times, those depicted are hybrids of herself and others. In this way, her evocative and emotional paintings show us how identity is fluid and collective, how relationships are primary, and how one is necessarily part of the many.
Museum acquires spectacular paintings by Maaori artist
Thanks to support from Trust Waikato, Waikato Museum has purchased Pah Paintings 1 – 4 by Star Gossage for its collection.
Koorero Toi: Tim Melville on Star Gossage
11am Saturday 30 April 2022
Free entry
Gallerist Tim Melville (Te Arawa, Ngati Whakaue and Te Atiawa) will provide insight and anecdotes on the opening day of this exhibition.
Owner and director of Tim Melville Gallery in Auckland, he is known for championing Maaori, Pasifika, and indigenous Australian artists.
Tim will share his personal connection with Star, discussing how they met and started working together, as well as highlighting some of the works in this exhibition.
Exhibition developed and toured by New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata.
