Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award

The Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award celebrates the work of young Māori artists, and connections with their tūpuna (ancestors).

Enjoy a selection of 40 artworks from the length of Aotearoa, in this award show devised by the late Kiingi Tuheitia as a platform for visual artists.

This is the third exhibition organised by the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata, in collaboration with the Office of the Kiingitanga. Woven artworks, video installations, and sculptural forms are presented as unique portraits of treasured ancestors. Famous warriors and even atua (gods) feature alongside caring grandparents who have nurtured the artists during their lives.

For Puke Ariki’s showing, special additions include new artworks by Taranaki artists, and photographic portraits from the museum’s collections, highlighting the tangata whenua of Taranaki and the lives of their tūpuna.