Bringing Māori Culture to Rio

“The ‘Tuku Iho | Legado Vivo Māori’, an exhibition and festival that celebrates the art and culture of New Zealand’s Māori people” have been held throughout October in various locations in Rio de Janeiro.

Highlights of the events included “live performances by the group kapa haka with singer Ria Hall, a Māori art installation with cravings by James Rickard and tattoos by moko tattooists,” according to an article in The Rio Times.

“Hopefully what we’re doing is creating those discussions about integrity in art forms. We can be, sometimes, oversensitive around the use of our design … Really it’s about having knowledge about which forms are okay to use, which are generic, and sometimes which have more meaning associated with them and should only be used by particular people at certain times,” said Karl Johnstone, the New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute director, as reported in an article on Stuff.co.nz.

The event was produced by the New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute and took place in Santiago, Chile, Buenos Aires, Argentina and São Paulo before arriving in Rio de Janeiro.

Article Source: Rio Times, Chesney Hearst, October 15, 2015.

Image Source: Twitter – Usina Del Arte