MEET THE MAKER

Artist Ayesha Green explores what it means to be a New Zealander today.

Portraiture is an art form that has long been used as a narrative and visual artist Ayesha Green (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu) has been using it as a way to “tell stories of my whānau and of our aspirations and histories”. Her inspiration comes from historical images that relate to how New Zealand’s identity has developed. “I am looking for the tensions between Māori and the colonial empire,” she explains, “or how New Zealand tells stories of itself and how those stories play out in our understanding of who we are and how we relate to one another.” During the past few years, the Auckland-based artist has developed drawings and paintings using kōkōwai, a Māori earth pigment. “It’s an amazing material to use as it is directly connected to me and comes with its own inherent wairua [spirit].”

Ayesha says a stint in Dunedin was pivotal to her career, as it gave her the opportunity to connect with her whakapapa. The city’s Octagon is where you can see one of her most recent works, Ko te Tūhono, 2021, a cast aluminium replica of the doorway into Tamatea, the wharenui of the local Ōtākou marae.

Represented by Jhana Millers Gallery in Wellington, the artist’s next exhibition is at the Tauranga Art Gallery from the end of August.