Mural artists
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Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho
Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho (Tūhoe, Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Kahungunu, Fale’ula) is a self-taught artist and illustrator whose work is primarily influenced by their Māori whakapapa, takatāpui identity, and political beliefs. They have worked with Waikato University, Tuatara Collective, Action Station, Auckland Pride, Organise Aotearoa, SOUL and Pantograph Punch, amongst others. Their illustrations have also been featured in He Paki Taonga I a Māui and Protest Tautohetohe, published through Te Papa Press in 2019. Huriana is a member of the collective of artists designing and creating the “Whakaako Kia Whakaora Educate To Liberate” and the “Niu Dawn” Murals.
Numangatini Mackenzie
Interdisciplinary artist Numangatini Mackenzie (Cook Islands Māori) work over the last decade has centred in pattern making, connecting moana (pacific) communities to their rich cultural heritage through contemporary means. Numa engages with practitioners of tatau (traditional tattoo), painting, spoken word, voyaging, navigation, street art and printing to bring moana traditional practices into a new way of imagining.
I am actively involved in cultural heritage projects, performative acti.VA.tions, research and community development through delivering opportunities to communities which allows them to engage my work through printing workshops. Born in Canada, Numamove to the Cook Islands in 2009 to explore his Moana culture which provided an opportunity to grow family ties and my understanding of cultural arts like tapa, tatau, canoe building, voyaging and other cultural traditions and skills.
In 2011, he participated in the Pacific Voyagers “Te Mana O Te Moana“ Voyage, sailing throughout the Pacific on Marumaru Atua – the Cook Island double hulled vaka (canoe) – a reawakening of cultural values through the traditions of voyaging. He has exhibited work in Canada, The Cook Islands, New Zealand, Australia and many pacific islands. Numa is a member of the collective of artists designing and creating the “Whakaako Kia Whakaora Educate To Liberate” and the “Niu Dawn” Murals
Simon Endres
Simon is a member of the collective of artists that designed and created the “Niu Dawn” Mural and was a volunteer and supporter of the “Whakaako Kia Whakaora Educate To Liberate” mural. A graduate of the Ilam School of Fine Arts, Endres’ work has been featured in solo and group shows in Aotearoa since the early 1990s. After 21 years in New York, he returned to full-time art making, spending the last few years re-establishing his studio practice and developing new bodies of work. His art practice continues to reflect on what it means to be a global citizen during these turbulent times from the viewpoint of a global Pacific.
Toa Sieke Ikitogia Taihia
Toa Taihia (Niue) was born in Aotearoa/New Zealand lived in the suburbs of Auckland. Toa became an integral member of the Polynesian Panthers. He is influenced by the Pacific community with our kaleidoscope of vibrant, colorful art, craft and practices. Surrounded by his elders he would participate in preparing weaving, in particular extraction of pigment from coloured pencils to dye the fibres. Weaving became the foundation for Toa to transfer those experiences onto ink, paper and other mediums associated with drawing. The results of Toa’s intense, intricate detailed works truly reflects the rigorous and rich Niue history. Toa is a channel tracing Whakapapa back to this united history reflecting our present lives. His extensive knowledge includes skills on symbols, motifs and patterns from hiapo cloth and weaving which are recognised in Pacific culture. Toa is a member of the collective of artists designing and creating the “Whakaako Kia Whakaora Educate To Liberate” and the “Niu Dawn” Murals
Chris McBride
Chris McBride (Aotearoa Irish, Pākehā) is an artist, curator and designer. His work has addressed social and political issues locally and globally since 1979. He co-founded The Kauri Project (2013-2024) and was a curator/researcher with Toi Taiao Whakatairanga (2020-2024 – a National Science Challenge Arts Project), working with artists, scientists and mātauranga Māori practitioners on building environmental awareness through art. He is a co-curator/artist/archivist of Wellington Media Collective (1978-1998) The “Niu Dawn” collaborative mural addresses the Dawn Raids (1974-1976) and was completed in December 2024. In 2021, together with the Niu Dawn artists, Chris collaborated on the nearby Whakaako Kia Whakaora Educate To Liberate Panthers mural, linking the Black Panther Party and the Polynesian Panthers to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the PPP.
Kaiāwhina
Harata Sidney
Harata Sidney (Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Rongowhakaata, Rongomaiwahine, Pākehā) is an admin manager for a Northland health organization. She has engaged with art projects throughout her life and is a social and political activist and staunch human rights advocate. Harata volunteered on the nearby Whakaako Kia Whakaora Educate To Liberate Panthers mural, linking the Black Panther Party and the Polynesian Panthers to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the PPP. Harata was the photographer for the Niu Dawn project. She assisted in project management and production of the Niu Dawn Zine and website.
Owen Thompson
Owen Thompson (Cook Islands Māori, Pākehā) is a primarily a web developer. He assisted in mural pre-production managing tech for outline projection) and volunteered as a painter on the “New Dawn” mural. Owen is creating the back end production for the “Niu Dawn” section of the liberationlibrary.nz website which was originally designed by Extended Whānau.