Ngā Ringa Whetū is an exhibition that embodies the interwoven knowledge of whatu and rāranga (Māori weaving techniques) and illuminates the interconnectedness of people and Te Ao Māori. Showcasing works by Ngā Toi Taketake tauira (students) from the Elam School of Fine Arts Te Waka Tūhura, the exhibition presents a constellation of small, intricately adorned pieces alongside expansive installations produced collaboratively.

Wānanga (attaining knowledge) is both a process and a methodology for Ngā Ringa Whetū, where learning, making, and exchange become inseparable. Through whatu and rāranga, hands become vessels of ancestral wisdom, passing on knowledge grounded in navigation, understanding, and place. These toi Māori practices are mahi tuku iho (practices gifted down). They have been carried across generations by dedicated makers who have retained and evolved them within Aotearoa’s creative and cultural landscapes.

The course Ngā Toi Taketake begins with tauira harvesting harakeke from plants on the Elam grounds. They learn rāranga and whatu, as well as the preparation of muka (prepared flax fibre). The second half of the course incorporates contemporary materials ranging from colored yarn to electrical cables.

Ngā Toi Taketake was first established by Dr Ngāhuia Harrison and Poata Alvie McKree in 2020. Since then the course has evolved through the hands of Dr Peter Robinson, Ani O’Neill, Dante Bonica and Katie Middleton, and now resides with Arapeta Hākura and Chanel Duff.

There are 33 contributors to Ngā Ringa Whetū:
Madi Baas, Anouk Boinnard, Ayla Brockes, Chanel Duff, Sage Etling, Tutu Fingers, Audrey Goggin, Arapeta Hākura, Lachlan Henderson, Yolanda Huang, Fakaheleamoka Kamupala, Jocelyn Liu, Madeleine Marnoch, Charlotte Marshall, Jules McKean, Olivia Meyers, Gabriella Olla, Connie Park, Heta Pulu, Lara Pyves, Jiayi Qu, Carmel Salmanzadeh, Ashley Shearer, Kaydince Singh-Latu, Zarah Stubbs, Clementine Tang, Phia Trembath, Rosrine Vaka’uta, Te Kohu Wallace, Coco Wu, Kailing Wu, Jinhee Yi, Selina Zhu