Maia Kreisler
Maia Kreisler — 'Whakamuri, Whakamua' (Looking Back, Moving Forward), 2024
This work forms part of a major body of sculptural ceramics developed over two years by Māori artist Maia Kreisler.
This vessel was first conceived in an earlier body of work — sketched, considered, and named, but never formed. Years later, it emerges here within a series rooted in whakapapa, finding its rightful place among works concerned with ancestry, memory, and spiritual connection.
The etched kōwhaiwhai designs that spiral across the upper form speak to continuity — a thread of inherited knowledge inscribed in surface and body. The vessel’s form is elegant and measured, its surface coated in silver, like a cloak of remembrance. It holds the energy of both planning and patience: of something long imagined, now realised.
Whakamuri, Whakamua embodies the essence of this exhibition: that past and present are not separate, but braided — and that some ideas wait for the right time to arrive.
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Maia Kreisler is a cross-disciplinary Māori artist whose practice explores the human condition and our complex relationship with the environment, with a primary focus on value creation through art. Working predominantly with uku (clay), Maia has exhibited both nationally and internationally for over twenty years.
Maia holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) from Massey University, Wellington, and a Diploma in Māori Art and Design, awarded in 2017 after studying under renowned Māori uku master, Wi Taepa. Her artworks are held in esteemed public and private collections, including Peter McLeavey Gallery, the Wallace Arts Trust, Wellington Museum, Puke Ariki Museum, the Wellington City Art Collection, and The Dowse Art Museum. In addition to her artistic practice, Maia has held roles within government and local councils, representing her hapū and iwi.
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Ka Mua, Ka Muri - Walking Backwards into the Future
June 19 – July 26
Ka Mua, Ka Muri — Walking Backwards into the Future — is a powerful Māori concept that acknowledges the past as a guiding force. We move forward with our backs to the future, eyes fixed on what has come before. The works reflect this ideology, drawing strength and insight from memory, tradition, and ancestral wisdom. Black silhouettes evoke timeless human forms, while intricate kowhaiwhai patterns flow across them, symbolising genealogy, continuity, and the ever-present influence of whakapapa.
Read more about the exhibition here:
Material: Handbuilt ceramic, black iron oxide, silver-painted and etched kōwhaiwha
Dimensions: 45 x 20cm
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