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The Big Idea

@thebigideanz

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Tahuna te Ahi x Te Manawa Our kōrero with Te Whaea Witika on redressing tukutuku panels, being with whānau everyday, and the hauora and happiness of mahi toi. Don’t miss Te Whaea Witika’s mahi toi exhibited at Ōrakei Marae this month: 📆 19th - 25th Ōketopa 🕕 10:00am - 3:00pm Te Whaea Witika is a Māori fibre artist whose practice centres on kākahu and tukutuku, two significant forms within the Māori weaving tradition. Her work is grounded in ancestral techniques and in the role of weaving as a carrier of knowledge, identity, and whakapapa. Her journey began at Ōrākei Marae, where as a teenager she contributed to the creation of tukutuku panels under the guidance of pouako Aunty Alice Pihema and Te Hemoata Henare. A graduate of Māori Toi arts, she brings together formal training and deep cultural grounding developed over more than five years of practice. This kōrero is part of a series exploring the practice of ringatoi Māori who participated in Te Pātaka - a trial programme for ringatoi māori in Tāmaki Makaurau supported by Auckland Council. #toi #māori #auckland #art #Māoriart weaving
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Te Manawa X Tahuna te Ahi Introducing Te Whaea Witika 🌿 Te Whaea sits down with us to share how mahi raranga has woven through her life and through her whānau. Don’t miss Te Whaea Witika’s mahi toi exhibited at Ōrakei Marae this month: 📆 19th - 25th Ōketopa 🕕 10:00am - 3:00pm Te Whaea Witika is a Māori fibre artist whose practice centres on kākahu and tukutuku, two significant forms within the Māori weaving tradition. Her work is grounded in ancestral techniques and in the role of weaving as a carrier of knowledge, identity, and whakapapa. Her journey began at Ōrākei Marae, where as a teenager she contributed to the creation of tukutuku panels under the guidance of pouako Aunty Alice Pihema and Te Hemoata Henare. A graduate of Māori Toi arts, she brings together formal training and deep cultural grounding developed over more than five years of practice. This kōrero is part of a series exploring the practice of ringatoi Māori who participated in Te Pātaka - a trial programme for ringatoi māori in Tāmaki Makaurau supported by Auckland Council. #toi #māori #auckland #art #Māoriart
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Te Manawa X Tahuna Te Ahi We ❤️ @te_puawai_mahi_toi_ Te Whaea sits down to kōrero about mind-blowing moments when starting whatu raranga, and learning from her whānau. See Te Whaea Witika’s mahi toi exhibited at Ōrakei Marae this month: 📆 19th - 25th Ōketopa 🕕 10:00am - 3:00pm Te Whaea Witika is a Māori fibre artist whose practice centres on kākahu and tukutuku, two significant forms within the Māori weaving tradition. Her work is grounded in ancestral techniques and in the role of weaving as a carrier of knowledge, identity, and whakapapa. Her journey began at Ōrākei Marae, where as a teenager she contributed to the creation of tukutuku panels under the guidance of pouako Aunty Alice Pihema and Te Hemoata Henare. A graduate of Māori Toi arts, she brings together formal training and deep cultural grounding developed over more than five years of practice. This kōrero is part of a series exploring the practice of ringatoi Māori who participated in Te Pātaka - a trial programme for ringatoi māori in Tāmaki Makaurau supported by Auckland Council. #aotearoa #arts #nz #toi #māori
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Read it aloud and shout the bits you really like 🤓🎭
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Luca Tu’avao Walton aka Lucid Luca is a Tongan Pākehā visual artist from Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. His vibrant illustrations and animations are love letters to the women who bring colour to his life and cultural identity. They illuminate Luca’s layered appreciation for dreamy aesthetic intersections and bodies that feel like home. Luca’s early drawings, which emerged as gifts for his mother and aunties, have evolved into proud portraits that adorn a growing number of fale (and Facebook) walls. Pictures that first materialised as Luca’s family fridge ornaments are now treasured by an Instagram community of over 15,000! A digital village that cherishes his enchanting, sentimental symbols of their diverse dreams and realities. Luca has attracted significant print sales and career-altering publishing opportunities by consistently sharing his unique process and perspective on social media. When we met on the internet, this is what Luca said about creating surreal portals to literally becoming a full-time freelance artist. “The irony was that I was only just starting to make progress with my agoraphobia when the world shut down. But something shifted. Everyone else was also looking for comfort, nostalgia, and little moments of beauty in their homes. That was when my work really started to take off, around 2021. People were buying prints because they wanted their homes to feel warm and personal. The message I heard over and over again was, “She looks like my mum,” or “That reminds me of my aunty,” or “My grandma looked just like that when she was young.” That was the biggest compliment I could receive. It told me people weren’t just seeing my illustrations, they were seeing their own lives reflected back at them.” Read the full story via the link in bio. 🌺 @lucidluca @danikionasina @tagataatamai @thebigideanz 📷 @teheiphotog
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Luca Tu’avao Walton aka Lucid Luca is a Tongan Pākehā visual artist from Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. His vibrant illustrations and animations are love letters to the women who bring colour to his life and cultural identity. They illuminate Luca’s layered appreciation for dreamy aesthetic intersections and bodies that feel like home. Luca’s early drawings, which emerged as gifts for his mother and aunties, have evolved into proud portraits that adorn a growing number of fale (and Facebook) walls. Pictures that first materialised as Luca’s family fridge ornaments are now treasured by an Instagram community of over 15,000! A digital village that cherishes his enchanting, sentimental symbols of their diverse dreams and realities. Luca has attracted significant print sales and career-altering publishing opportunities by consistently sharing his unique process and perspective on social media. When we met on the internet, this is what Luca said about creating surreal portals to literally becoming a full-time freelance artist. “I started posting my art on Instagram when I was 16. I opened my first print shop around that age too, simply because people wanted to buy my work. After school I’d jump on Facebook Live and do Indian ink paintings while my friends watched. There’d be 50 to 100 people on there, supposedly doing their homework… and I definitely wasn’t doing mine.” Read the full story via the link in bio. 🌺 @lucidluca @danikionasina @tagataatamai @thebigideanz 📷 @jia.ma_diaries @jia.ma_photography
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Luca Tu’avao Walton aka Lucid Luca is a Tongan Pākehā visual artist from Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. His vibrant illustrations and animations are love letters to the women who bring colour to his life and cultural identity. They illuminate Luca’s layered appreciation for dreamy aesthetic intersections and bodies that feel like home. Luca’s early drawings, which emerged as gifts for his mother and aunties, have evolved into proud portraits that adorn a growing number of fale (and Facebook) walls. Pictures that first materialised as Luca’s family fridge ornaments are now treasured by an Instagram community of over 15,000! A digital village that cherishes his enchanting, sentimental symbols of their diverse dreams and realities. Luca has attracted significant print sales and career-altering publishing opportunities by consistently sharing his unique process and perspective on social media. When we met on the internet, this is what Luca said about creating surreal portals to literally becoming a full-time freelance artist. “I feel like e-commerce and social media have really changed the game. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it has levelled the playing field, but l think it has made it accessible by removing some of the traditional barriers and prerequisites to selling your work. It definitely comes down to luck as well sometimes, and algorithms that are out of our control. But instead of having to rent a space or a stall, you can have an IG handle and a dream, and that is enough to be official!” Read the full story via the link in bio. 🌺 @lucidluca @danikionasina @tagataatamai @thebigideanz 📷 @jia.ma_diaries @jia.ma_photography
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Ahead of tomorrow’s talk, ‘Why go? Thoughts and Reflections from the Learning from Venice Workshop’ (5.30pm at @aucklandartgallery auditorium) read Angela Bishop reflecting on the impact and outcomes of taking eight early-career practitioners to experience the Venice Biennale, in @thebigideanz . Links in bio to read the article AND to book tickets for tomorrow’s talk. The talk will be introduced by Natasha Conland , curator of et al.’s ‘the fundamental practice’, and led by Christina Barton and Hanahiva Rose, with Learning from Venice participants, Jingcheng Zhao, Lachlan Taylor, p.Walters, Sally McMath and Anto Yeldezian. The talk is supported by The Chartwell Trust and Elam Fine Arts Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland. Thank you to @angb.curious @thebigideanz @aucklandartgallery @natashaconland @christinajbarton Hanahiva Rose @zhao.jingcheng @notesonscampi @marks.of.the.beast @salmcmath @is_this_fun_ @chartwellproject @elamartists @uoaarts
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I visited Linda about halfway through her 2026 Parehuia Artist Residency at McCahon House. Suspended by an ancient forest and studio floorboards that creaked with rich creative whakapapa, we talked about her malaga (journey) as a Moana wahine artist who returned to her practice in her own time, and crafts her career her own way. When I asked Linda how her cultural identity and personal values have influenced her creative process, this was her response: Pasifika communities are about the wider group, not just the individual’s needs. I do not account my successes thus far to be an individual effort. I have built everything around relationships. There is room for everyone; we should be able to celebrate others’ achievements without feeling threatened.  Read our kōrero via the link in bio. 🔗 www.thebigidea.co.nz @thebigideanz @danikionasina @tagataatamai @lindavaaeluaartist @mccahonhouse #pacificarts #nzarts
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Established and emerging artists are invited to submit proposals for the 14th Annual Autumn Exhibition in March 2027, at which Tai Tapu Sculpture Garden showcases the permanent collection and around 100 works for sale. Closes 7 October. @taitapusculpturegarden @thebigideanz
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I visited Linda about halfway through her 2026 Parehuia Artist Residency at McCahon House. Suspended by an ancient forest and studio floorboards that creaked with rich creative whakapapa, we talked about her malaga (journey) as a Moana wahine artist who returned to her practice in her own time, and crafts her career her own way. When I asked Linda what advice she would give to artists who want to fully transition into creative careers, this was her response: You need to have a good support network, whether that is family or friends, in the art world or not – those that are always in your corner, cheering you on. Ultimately, you want to be fulfilling your purpose while you are on this Earth. I don’t want to have any regrets or thoughts of “I wish I had tried that” when I reach the end. Read our kōrero via the link in bio. 🔗 www.thebigidea.co.nz @thebigideanz @danikionasina @tagataatamai @lindavaaeluaartist @mccahonhouse #pacificarts #nzarts
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Linda Va’aelua is a Samoan (Magiagi, Saleaula, Lano, and Samata) Scottish artist and graphic designer from West Aukilani, Aotearoa. After working in the design industry for more than 20 years, Linda launched her visual arts career with a virtual exhibition that explored her cultural identity through paintings in 2021. Alongside developing a visual art practice, Linda has continued to lend her design skills to the storytelling landscape through culturally-rooted publications. She published and designed A Niu Dawn: Creative Responses to the Dawn Raids (2024) and Tusiata o le Tala o le Vavau (2023). Linda also designed NUKU: Stories of 100 Indigenous Women (originally published in 2021), which was shortlisted for the Illustrated Non-Fiction Award at the Ockham Book Awards, and a finalist for the award for best adult commercial book at the PANZ Book Design Awards. In five years, Linda has carved out a multidisciplinary creative career that many artists dream of cultivating over a lifetime. Linda’s intentional, sustained efforts culminated in a pivotal opportunity when she became the inaugural McCahon House Pacific Artist in Residence. I visited Linda about halfway through her 2026 Parehuia Artist Residency. Suspended by an ancient forest and studio floorboards that creaked with rich creative whakapapa, we talked about her malaga (journey) as a Moana wahine artist who returned to her practice in her own time, and crafts her career her own way. 🔗 Read the full story at www.thebigidea.co.nz @lindavaaeluaartist @danikionasina @thebigideanz @mccahonhouse @tagataatamai
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