Maia Kreisler
Maia Kreisler — 'Te Āhua o Roto' (The Shape of Within), 2025
This work forms part of a major body of sculptural ceramics developed over two years by Māori artist Maia Kreisler.
This vessel bears arms formed in the style of kōwhaiwhai — a gesture outward, spiralling from the body. The entire surface is covered in layered silver pigment, an otherworldly texture that shimmers between concealment and illumination.
The artist recalls this silver from childhood dreams: a fine, moving pattern that lived just beneath her eyelids — a presence she could see when her eyes were closed. In Te Āhua o Roto, that vision has been brought into the world. The work becomes a translation of the inner realm into physical form, holding space for memory, subconscious knowing, and inherited wairua.While referencing traditional vessel forms, this sculpture resists functionality. Instead, it becomes a map of embodied experience — an object shaped not by what it holds, but by what it reveals.
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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 surface
Dimensions: 32 x 27cm
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