Welcome to Tupe Dreams
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Welcome to Tupe Dreams *
Tupe Dreams celebrates the voices, stories, and creativity of Moana Nui a Kiwa and connecting our communities through shared imagery, storytelling, and the
‘What’s In Your Kete?’ podcast.
October Recap: Celebrating Arts, Culture, and Community
October has been a month of vibrant celebrations, inspiring art, and powerful storytelling!
From arts awards, music video drops to groundbreaking series premieres, we’ve been soaking up everything our local creative community has to offer.
Here’s our October recap, highlighting some of our favourite moments. Tap through each section to check out the gems you may have missed during the month! 🎉
Copy Right /Credit: Rautini Conroy Thompson O’Brien | Māori TV (2024)
Ngā Kōtiro o Taranaki Premieres 🎬
We kicked off the month with the premiere of Ngā Kōtiro o Taranaki, a visually stunning 10-part animated series.
This powerful tale of resilience, survival, and sisterhood is set in 1880s Taranaki and was brought to life by the talented Rautini Conroy Thompson O’Brien.
“It’s been passed down through the wāhine in my whānau to me. It’s always felt like my responsibility to put it out there. My mum is a fantastic storyteller, and she has really supported and pushed me to share this story.
It kinda feels otherworldly,” says Rautini, who co-wrote the series with her mother, Paula Conroy.
Ngā mihi Rautini & Whaea Paula, we look forward to seeing more stories from you both in the near future.
Celebrating Tuvalu Language Week & Molia Alama Tulafono’s Book Launch 📖
As part of Tuvalu Language Week, choreographer and community leader Molia Alama Tulafono celebrated the launch of her book ‘Kupu O Fatele, Tuvaluan Songs, Chants & Words of Inspiration’.
Published by Moanaroa Publishing in partnership with Pacifica Arts Centre, this cultural gem preserves language and heritage for future generations.
” I'm hopeful this book will encourage the next generation of Tuvaluans to be inspired and find strength in the beauty of our culture and language. Taku Fatele - Tau Fatele” ~ Molia Alama-Tulafono
Sipi kana Molia 🎉✨👏🏾 We look forward to adding this beautiful book to our collection of resources. Find your copy at Moana Fresh 🌺
STAR GOSSAGE | ‘Whanaungatanga ( Oct 9 - Nov 2)
Eight new exquisite paintings by Star Gossage (Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Ruanui) have been on exhibit at Tim Melville Gallery.
We must admit that we’ve stared longingly at the gallery’s digital catalogue for ‘Whanaungatanga’ and because the feels we get from the works have been so enchanting we’ve gone on to share the magic in our group chats with friends that adore Star Gossage’s work just as much as we do. 😍
Copyright / Credits: Tim Melville / Facebook (2024)
Queendom by Kenzie from Wellie – Music Video Drop 🎶
“QUEENDOM is a reminder to peel away western beauty standards piece by piece, a calling to activate internal Indigenous wisdom and a surge of energy to jumpstart the heart.” – Kenzie From Welly
With powerful lyrics and visuals, this anthem has been bumping at full blast over here. If you haven’t watched it yet, turn the volume up and push play - it’s a must for any playlist!! 👑
Stevei Houkāmau, Ira (19 Oct - 16 Nov) Masterworks Gallery
Stevei Houkāmau (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau a Apanui, Rangitāne) has a new solo exhibition ‘Ira’ at Masterworks Gallery.
Ira continues Stevei's exploration of whakapapa using uku/clay and looking at forms that reference kākano/seeds.
Follow Stevei on INSTAGRAM ~ @ukumad to see more of her taonga.
Maui (2024) by Stevei Houkāmau, with this beautiful red stained paua, depicts the moment Maui begins to emerge from Rarohenga/ the underworld.
View more beautiful works via the e-catalogue.
*Copy Rights / Image credit: Masterworks Gallery
Niue Language Week & “Mavehe” by Haanz Fa'avae-Jackson 🌊
During Faahi Tapu he Vagahau Niue – Niue Language Week, multi-talented actor and singer, Haanz Fa'avae-Jackson released his heartfelt single ’Mavehe’.
The song and music video powerfully express Niuean culture, resilience, and the beauty of Vagahau Niue.
Faamele Etuale’s Lunchtime Lei Workshops 🌸
Over at the Govett Brewster Gallery, multi disciplinary artist Faamele Etuale hosted lunchtime lei-making workshops, offering the public a hands-on way to connect with tradition and creativity.
These sessions weren’t just about crafting leis; they were a beautiful way to reflect and connect through art.
Shout out to Fa’amele for sharing her skills and knowledge with our community in the regions and for featuring in our upcoming podcast!
Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureate Awards 🌟
In mid-October, Aotearoa’s arts community gathered to honour eight remarkable artists as the 2024 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureates.
We were thrilled to see Lonnie Hutchinson, Horomona Horo, Victor Rodger ONZM, Miriama McDowell and Carin Wilson Kahui Whetu Ngā Aho acknowledged for their respective mediums. A massive congratulations to all! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
The 2024 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureates at the Laureate Awards Party: Lonnie Hutchinson, Miriama McDowell, Carin Wilson Kahui Whetu Ngā Aho, Victor Rodger ONZM, Claire Cowan, Saskia Leek, Horomona Horo, and Alison Wong.
Image Credit: Arts Foundation
Creative New Zealand’s Arts Pasifika Awards 🏆
The Creative New Zealand Arts Pasifika Awards were another celebration of incredible talent, with recipients honored at a ceremony held at the Beehive in Wellington.
This event was a reminder of the immense impact that our artists continue to have on New Zealand’s cultural landscape.
We enjoyed the FB livestream of the event and cheered wildly when ✨Edith Amituana’i, ✨Sione Tuívailala Monū and ✨Leafa Wilson were each called up to the stage to be formally recognised this year.
Mālō le tauivi to poet and children’s author 🌺Tusiata Avia, Recipient of the 2024 Senior Pacific Artist Award from Creative New Zealand.
Read more about each artist and their award on the CNZ site.
Arts Pasifika Award 2024 Recipients (L-R clockwise): Tusiata Avia, Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono, Jadrah Tupai (Signature Choir), Edith Amituana’i, Max Stowers, Falefatu Carreras Enari, Sione Tuívailala Monū and Leafa Wilson.
Copyright / Image Credit: Creative NZ (2024)
October brought so much talent, and community celebration we wish we could’ve listed and been at them all.
👩🏽💻 Let us know what your favorite moment of the month was and feel free to share your image with us on IG.
Don’t forget if you have a story to share, don’t hesitate to reach out.
We’d love to hear your thoughts! 
Remembering Te Māori
Forty years ago, the groundbreaking Te Māori exhibition put Māori culture and taonga on the world stage in a way that had never been done before.
Opening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1984, the exhibition featured 174 taonga from museums and iwi across Aotearoa, and drew over 70,000 visitors in its first week alone. As it toured four U.S. cities, it wasn’t just the artifacts that traveled — Māori representatives accompanied the taonga at every stop, ensuring their stories were told with cultural integrity and respect.
Credit Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade | Opening of Te Māori Exhibition, New York, 10th October 1984.
Te Māori was more than just an art exhibit; it was a turning point for museums globally in how they approached indigenous cultural artifacts. It shifted the focus from viewing these objects as relics of the past to recognising them as living embodiments of cultural identity. It showed the world the beauty of Māori history and craftsmanship, while also marking a critical reclamation of Māori voices and narratives in the process.
Te Māori exhibition banner at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 1984.
Credit: TVNZ
For the first time, Māori were leading the conversations around their own heritage on a global platform. This was not just a showcase of art; it was a bold statement of Māori identity and self-determination. The mana and richness of our culture were on full display for the world to see, on our terms.
After its successful run at The Met in New York, followed by exhibitions at the Saint Louis Art Museum, the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco, and the Field Museum in Chicago between 1984 and 1986, Te Māori returned to Aotearoa in 1987.
Rebranded as Te Māori: Te Hokinga Mai, it was proudly presented in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin.
This photograph shows exhibition staff at the Auckland City Art Gallery just before its opening there. Credit: Te Ara
This week, the Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trustees hosted a remarkable two-day wānanga at the beautiful Waiwhetū Marae, gathering to commemorate the significant milestone of 40 years since the opening of Te Māori. This event served as an opportunity not only to explore the profound legacy of the exhibition but also to reflect on cherished memories and experiences from that transformative period.
Carousel of images captured from the Āti Awa Toa Livestream
Additionally, it inspired kōrero around the promising future of Māori art and cultural expression.
This gathering stands as a powerful reminder that the stories and taonga shared four decades ago continue to resonate deeply, shaping the creative path for future generations of artists and guardians of our cherished culture.