Wairau Māori Art Gallery announces inaugural Director

Two months after its opening, Wairau Māori Art Gallery has appointed Larissa McMillan as its inaugural director. The Wairau Māori Art Gallery (WMAG) sits within the Hundertwasser Art Centre located in Whangarei - the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region.

McMillan previously served as marketing manager for the Hatea Art Precinct, which encompasses WMAG and the nearby Whangarei Art Museum.

She is also an artist and writer, with a bachelor’s degree in design and visual communications from Massey University and a certificate in film and television from the Wellington Film School.

Speaking to McMillan's qualifications for the role, Elizabeth Ellis, the Chair of WMAG's board noted “she understands the importance of fostering relationships with Māori communities and has the perception, capabilities, and enthusiasm we need for this inaugural position.”

With McMillian being a member of the Nga Puhi tribe, Ellis added “there has never before been a Māori Director of a Māori public Art Gallery. This is a first.”

The gallery will hold three exhibitions a year showcasing established and mid-career Māori artists.

McMillan said exhibitions would discuss themes that are topical and relevant for Māori and many other indigenous cultures such as water sovereignty and land rights, language, identity, and how to align with global issues such as Black Lives Matter and climate change.

The Hundertwasser Art Centre was built according to designs by Vienna-born visual artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000). The colourful tiled museum building is made with sustainable materials and includes a water fountain, and a reforested garden roof complete with a gold-domed pagoda.

Hundertwasser first envisaged the inclusion of a Māori art gallery when he designed the space over 20 years ago. The architect strongly identified with Māori values, particularly around ecology.

The name Wairau, chosen for the gallery by the board's kaumatua (elder) Dr Patu Hohepa, translates to 'one hundred waters', a literal translation of Hundertwasser's name.

The development of the Wairau Māori Art Gallery began in 2012 by a group of Māori artists, scholars and academics. The gallery’s inaugural exhibition 'Puhi Ariki' features nine key artists who each have whakapapa / genealogical links to the North. The Wairau Māori Art Gallery Charitable Trust has a partnership with the Hundertwasser Foundation in Vienna, alongside cooperative agreements and relationships with Te Parawhau ki Tai hapu, the Hatea Art Precinct Trust, and the Hihiaua Cultural Centre.

Images courtesy Hundertwasser Art Centre