Maia Kreisler
Maia Kreisler — 'Upoko Moemoeā' (Dreaming Head), 2025
This work forms part of a major body of sculptural ceramics developed over two years by Māori artist Maia Kreisler.
Through pit firing and hand-carved forms, the work holds and releases mauri — ancestral energy and memory. The silver-painted surface acts both as a mirror and a shroud, drawing from cosmological reflections, whakapapa, and the politics of passive resistance. Referencing both atua and contemporary subjects, the stylised face gestures toward timeless presence. It resists easy interpretation, instead asserting itself as a spiritual object — one that honours complexity, ritual, and the embodiment of Indigenous futurity.
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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
Dimensions: 30 x 20cm
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