A Day of Weavers in the Gallery: Honouring Toi Te Rito Maihi
Schedule
Thu Sep 18 2025 at 12:30 am to 05:00 am
UTC+12:00Location
Wairau Māori Art Gallery | Whangarei, NO
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Join us at Wairau Māori Art Gallery for a FREE special open day celebrating the legacy of master weaver Toi Te Rito Maihi.10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
Moana Murray* and Makareta Jahnke* will lead a kōrero on Toi Te Rito Maihi’s s life, her founding of the Kura Aho Weavers Collective in Kaikohe, and the ways her vision continues to inspire new generations of makers.
Established by Whaea Toi, the collective led by Makareta Jahnke continues her legacy of whatu kakahu, focussing on muka fibres, dyes and the practise of traditional kakahu whatu techniques.
11:15 AM – 3:00 PM
Muka, Whatu and Whiri making all day.
--Muka – prepared fibre from harakeke used in weaving
--Whatu – finger-twined weaving
--Whiri – plait, braid
Throughout the day, members of the Te Aho Weavers Collective will be in the Wairau Māori Art Gallery, making beneath Toi’s artwork. Visitors are welcome to spend time with the weavers, observe their process, and share in their knowledge and practice.
While here, explore Pae o te Rangi, featuring works by Colleen Waata Urlich, Toi Te Rito Maihi, Hemi Macgregor, and Gina Matchitt.
All are welcome.
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*Makareta Jahnke
Ngāpuhi, Te Hikutū, Ngāti Porou, Tainui
Artist, weaver, and Māori arts designer, Makareta Jahnke works across customary and contemporary practice and facilitates projects with ĀKAU. Formerly a teacher and set designer, she reignited her weaving under the guidance of Toi Te Rito Maihi, contributing to projects such as Te Rā (The Māori Sail). Through her community and design work, she connects people with their culture, whenua, and stories.
**Moana Murray
Ngāpuhi
Moana Murray is a Ngāpuhi kaiwhatu, scholar, and member of the Kura Aho Weavers Collective. Learning under Makareta Jahnke, Moana’s doctoral research explores taonga in museum archives, the reweaving of ancestral kākahu, and takatāpui histories. Their work bridges customary weaving with contemporary inquiry, ensuring Te Tai Tokerau traditions and stories thrive for future generations.
Nāu i whatu te kākahu, he tāniko tāku.
You wove the body of the cloak, I added the tāniko.
Location: Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery
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Where is it happening?
Wairau Māori Art Gallery, 2 Quayside, Whangarei 0110, New Zealand, WhangareiEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
