Te Ata Hou Roopu and Friends United is a collective of emerging and established artists from the Kaipara region and beyond, brought together through a shared passion for creativity, culture, and community. Founded in 2024 by local Māori artists, the group celebrates the values of kotahitanga (unity) and manaakitanga (care and connection), creating a space where diverse voices, stories, and artistic expressions can flourish. Through their annual Matariki exhibition, Te Ata Hou Roopu and Friends United continue to inspire connection, understanding, and community through art.

EXHIBITION DESCRIPTION:

The stars have aligned! Te Ata Hou Roopu is delighted to present our annual Matariki Art Exhibition at Mangawhai Art Gallery, running from Saturday 11 July to Thursday 23 July, with our Opening Night celebration on Friday 10 July from 6.00pm–7.00pm, marking the beginning of the Matariki long weekend. We are honoured to welcome back a wonderful mix of returning artists, alongside talented new local artists who have joined us for this year's exhibition. This exciting collection showcases Matariki and Māori-inspired artworks created from a diverse range of materials, including pounamu, harakeke, corrugated iron, resin, fibres, wood, and sand. Featuring nine artists, the exhibition offers a rich variety of creative expression, ensuring there is something for everyone to enjoy and connect with. Join Te Ata Hou Roopu and Friends as we celebrate Matariki through Kotahitanga — bringing people together in the spirit of unity, connection, and community. Our opening evening will also feature waiata performed by exhibiting artist Dani, adding a special musical element to this celebration of art and culture. We look forward to sharing this meaningful occasion with you.

ARTIST: Britta Conrad

Iwi: Ngati Tiamana

Email: silbri9@gmail.com

Always being “crafty”, Britta used to keep her hands busy with spinning wool and making natural dyes, knitting, macramé and bead weaving. Her focus changed when she came to Aotearoa to live in 1990 and soon fell in love with the traditional Māori art of flax weaving.

Britta’s weaving journey started with attending a weekend workshop, then finding a local teacher in Mangawhai who was supportive in sharing her knowledge, to attending a 1-year raranga (flax weaving) course with Northtec and finally starting her own little business “Harakeke basketry” where she sold her work at markets and also offered weaving workshops to the wider community.

“I have a great respect and admiration for this ancient artform”, she says “…and I feel humbled and blessed to have been taught and therefore am able to contribute to keeping this taonga alive “.

Flax weaving has contributed to making the connection to Britta’s chosen home country even stronger.

ARTIST: Keri Craike

Iwi: Whakatohea, Ngati Porou, Ngati Kahungunu

Email: kericraike@gmail.com Ph: 021 274 4251

Since her debut exhibition in 2024, Keri has chosen to pursue a professional art career, enrolling in the Mastery Art Program with the Milan Art Institute.

Keri sees her art as a living expression of Wairua (spirit) and connection. She is committed to creating work that not only tells a story, but also offers a sense of healing, reflection, and upliftment, as well as playfulness for others.

Keri embraces the process of play, learning, and experimentation across different mediums and techniques. Inspired by the old masters and contemporary artists alike, she is currently joyfully immersed - some might say obsessed - in the intuitive art of collage and layering, where deeper meanings and messages often reveal themselves, but not limited to, with her passion for paint and sculptural mediums.

ARTIST: Julie Lumsden - Fibre Artist

“Born in Aotearoa, l celebrate my country's rich, indigenous heritage, along with the Scottish, Norwegian and Irish heritage of my ancestors."

Email: jllmsdn@gmail.com Phone: 027 602 3025

Julie is passionate about wool, how it can be manipulated to create various textures and form when felted by hand or needle.

For the last few years she has been experimenting with needle felting and finds the paint effects that can be created interesting and inspiring, with the finished result different to hand felting, as the process allows more control on colour and texture.

She also enjoys the texture that can be created when felting fabric, depending on sheep breed and fabric type.

Having the skills and knowledge to hand felt in the traditional manner and being able to apply those skills to a different, innovative machine method has many possibilities and is quite exciting to her.

ARTIST: Danielle Adams

Ko Waitetuna Te Awa Ko Tainui Te Waka Ko Ngati Mahunga Te Hapu Ko Waikato Te Iwi

Email: adamsfamilyproductions1@gmail.com

Ph: 0212531852

Danielle Adams is a self-taught resin artist from Kaiwaka, New Zealand. She creates unique artworks using resin and mixed media, combining colour, texture, and storytelling in every piece.

Inspired by nature and her Māori and English heritage, Danielle's art reflects connection, strength, and the beauty of the world around us. Her work is designed to bring meaning, warmth, and a sense of calm to any space.

Through exploring and refining her techniques, Danielle has developed a distinctive style that has attracted collectors from New Zealand and around the world. Each artwork is carefully handcrafted, making every piece truly one of a kind.

Danielle has lived in Kaiwaka with her family for over 22 years and draws inspiration from her community, the natural landscape, and her cultural roots. Through her art, she hopes to create pieces that people can connect with, enjoy, and treasure for years to come.

ARTIST: Benji Musson

Iwi:

Benji Musson is a New Zealand artist whose work is inspired by the ocean, nature, and spirituality. Through both fine art paintings and large-scale beach sand art, he creates pieces that capture emotion, movement, and connection.

His artwork ranges from expressive portraiture to dramatic coastal scenes, often featuring powerful waves, light, and natural beauty. Alongside his canvas work, Benji creates intricate sand art on beaches, transforming the shoreline into temporary works of art that celebrate creativity and the ever-changing nature of life.

Driven by a passion for storytelling through visual art, Benji's work aims to inspire wonder, reflection, and a deeper connection with the world around us.

ARTIST: Amanda Mangu (Mandy)

Iwi:

Amanda Mangu (Mandy) is a contemporary weaver based in Mangawhai.

Mandy’s raranga journey began in late August 2024 when she volunteered to weave Waikawa baskets for Te Whai Trust. From that first spark, her passion for working with Harakeke (New Zealand flax) flourished under the loving support and guidance of two incredibly talented mentors, Britta and Debbie.

Amanda uses traditional and modern practices to explore the deep connections between people, land, and community.

For the Te Ata Hou Roopu and Friends United 2026 exhibition, her woven pieces reflect the core Matariki values of remembrance, celebration, and renewal. This marks Amanda's second public group exhibition as she continues to develop her unique artistic voice.

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