Ancestral Art in UK

George Tamihana Nuku, renowned Maori carver and sculptor, is staging his first solo exhibition at the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum in Middlesbrough, UK. Nuku’s exhibition ranges from large carved pieces to traditional Maori weapons, and intricate pieces of personal adornment and jewellery, including the only Maori Hei Tiki neck ornament made of Whitby jet. Film footage will also show the artist undergoing tattooing using traditional Polynesian methods. Nuku, who first visited Middlesbrough in 2006, said: “I am so excited to have the opportunity to display my work at the Museum and to provide a direct link between Cook and my ancestors who first met the great explorer nearly 240 years ago in New Zealand.” The exhibition runs through June 1.