Manawatia a Matariki - He reka te ngahau

Matariki is a star cluster whose mid-winter reappearance in the morning sky heralds the start of the Māori New Year (Te Mātahi o te Tau). Traditionally tied to the harvest and cycles of life, it is now a national public holiday in New Zealand dedicated to remembrance, feasting, and looking to the future. Each year Waiheke Art Gallery puts together a curated show of artists in celebration of this important event.

This year’s show, Manawatia a Matariki - He reka te ngahau, is a celebration of enjoyment: the act of acknowledging achievement, embracing moments of lightness, and recognising the value of celebration itself. An invitation is extended to experience Matariki through joy, the power of positivity and being ‘sweet-as’.

Ngāti Paoa are the mana whenua of Waiheke. As descendants of the Tainui waka, Te Paki o Matariki is observed, acknowledging the following whetū and their domains:  Matariki (reflection and remembrance), Tupuānuku (food grown in the soil), Tupuārangi (food from the sky and forest), Waitī (freshwater), Waitā (the ocean), Waipuna-ā-rangi (rain), and Ururangi (the winds).  

Image credit: Koratoras (Ngāti Tīpa, Tainui) Te Hono o Matariki

https://www.waihekeartgallery.org.nz/exhibitions/exhibitions/matariki-2026/