Five artists from the Gisborne Region have been selected as finalists in the Inaugural Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award. Emerging Maori Artists were to create portraits of their tipuna.

The Winner, Runner-Up and People’s Choice Award will be announced on the 27th May. The 50 finalists works will go on exhibition around New Zealand.
Raewyn Rickard speaks with one of the selected Tairawhiti Artists, l Nathaniel Nathan.
Nathaniel is very new to being an artist. He studies at Toihoukura. Nathaniel’s entry depicts his 4x great grandfather on his father’s side. “I chose to draw this tupuna as my biggest connection to tupuna and te ao Maori is my love for mahi toi.” With an old dilapidated photo in family archives and very little korero he seeks that connection and knowing through art.