Ans Westra: Pūkana!

Ans Westra: Pūkana!

Ans Westra

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241 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington

16 October – 12 November 2019

Ans Westra, 1963, Coronation celebrations, Turangawewae, Ngaruawahia, vintage silver gelatin print, 288 x 221 mm

Ans Westra, 1963, Coronation celebrations, Turangawewae, Ngaruawahia, vintage silver gelatin print, 288 x 221 mm

Ans Westra, c.1975, Carmen, pigment print, 950 x 950 mm

Ans Westra, c.1975, Carmen, pigment print, 950 x 950 mm

Performance is at the heart of Māori culture and the way Māori engage with each other and the world, whether to celebrate, seduce, entertain, express dissent or anger, or grieve.

To coincide with Pūkana!, a centenary exhibition at The Alexander Turnbull library, is pleased to present a large exhibition by legendary photographer Ans Westra, celebrating moments in Māori performance.

The images in this exhibition – many being shown for the first time ever - are a record of traditions and cultural practices that came under pressure at a time when Māori were being encouraged to migrate to urban centres for integration and eventual assimilation.

The exhibition will open to the public from 11am on Wednesday 16 October 2019.