Brave

Being brave can sound like a difficult thing to do. But I look back in the history of our people, and particularly since 1840, and if there’s anything that has marked the survival of our people and the flourishing of our people, it’s that we have been brave.

Moana Jackson in conversation with Mathew Tukaki, 2022.

Renowned for staunchly political works on a large confrontational scale, Robyn Kahukiwa here loads her paintbrush with affirmation. Like other recent works by the artist, Brave, 2024 is smaller, but its resonance remains powerful. Kahukiwa has broken ground several times across her across her artistic career, but mana wahine has been a consistent presence. In this work, it is embodied by a wahine urukehu adorned with a Hei Tiki pounamu and black turtleneck emblazoned with the Tino Rangatiratanga flag.

Brave shows Kahukiwa drawing inspiration from revered Māori activist and philosopher Moana Jackson CRSNZ (1945–2022) through quotation. Jackson advocated for a restorative self-determination for Māori in the political, economic, and social realms. He worked within the space Te Tiriti o Waitangi continues to offer, outlining principles for the betterment of all of Aotearoa under its cloak. This approach resonates deeply with Māori, and Kahukiwa acknowledges it directly through works like Brave.

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