**A Comprehensive History of Māori Art**

The art of Māori people is a rich and diverse reflection of their culture, customs, and traditions. From ancient carvings to modern-day fashion, Māori art has played a significant role in the lives of New Zealand’s indigenous people for centuries. In this article, we will explore the history of Māori art, from its ancestral origins to its contemporary forms.

**The Ancestral Origins**

Deidre Brown, Professor of Architecture at the University of Auckland, explains that the history of Māori art can be divided into three baskets of knowledge: te kete-tuatea (the basket of light), te kete-tuauri (the basket of darkness or the unknown), and te kete-aronui (the basket of pursuit).

“The first basket is all about customary Māori art,” says Brown. “This includes carvings, tattoos, and other forms of traditional expression. We talk about the ancestral origins of these arts, and they can be everything from waka construction to textiles, to whakairo rākau (wood carving), rock art, body adornment.”

**The Impact of European Culture**

As Brown explains, the second basket, te kete-tuauri, refers to the impact of European culture on Māori art. “This is what happened when new materials, new ideas, new concepts, and perhaps new challenges for Māori arrived via European culture,” she says. “For example, taonga Māori in museums, the impact of Christianity on Māori art, new ideas, new technology, the arts of survival, so-called morahu arts and architecture.”

**Contemporary Forms**

The third basket, te kete-aronui, refers to the contemporary phase of Māori art. According to Brown, this includes modern forms of expression such as fashion, music, and performance art. “We didn’t want to say that contemporary starts with modernism, which is often the Western gateway into understanding Western art,” she says. “So instead we looked at what would be considered a shift into this other sort of space.”

MP Whetū Tirikātene-Sullivan, a leader in contemporary Māori fashion, was interviewed by John Miller outside Parliament in 1975, receiving Whina Cooper’s hīkoi (a procession of women who marched from Ruakaka to Parliament to protest the government’s refusal to recognize their claims under the Treaty of Waitangi).

**The Role of Art in Social Reform**

Throughout Māori history, art has played a significant role in social reform and self-determination. Te Puea Hērangi, Sir Āpirana Ngata, and Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana were all influential leaders who used art as a means of promoting their vision for a modern Māori society.

“Their idea was that art could be used to express themselves, to communicate with each other, and to promote their values,” says Brown. “And this is still happening today.”

**Conclusion**

The history of Māori art is a rich and complex one, reflecting the diverse experiences and traditions of New Zealand’s indigenous people. From ancient carvings to modern-day fashion, Māori art continues to play an important role in promoting self-determination, cultural preservation, and artistic expression. By understanding the history of Māori art, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the culture and customs of Aotearoa New Zealand’s indigenous people.