Developed in partnership with Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, the exhibition is the first Australian solo exhibition dedicated to the Gadigal Land Sydney-born artist, bringing together works spanning more than five decades. Opening at MCA Australia in the wake of Robyn Kahukiwa’s passing, the exhibition offers audiences a timely opportunity to encounter the extraordinary vision of an artist whose work transformed representations of Māori identity, culture and political struggle. The exhibition will travel to Aotearoa New Zealand, where it will open at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū in February 2027.

Born in Sydney in 1938, Kahukiwa (Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Konohi, Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare) reconnected with her Māori heritage after moving to Aotearoa New Zealand in the late 1950s. There she developed a powerful artistic language grounded in whakapapa (genealogy and ancestry), ancestral knowledge and Māori ways of knowing. Through vivid, emotionally charged paintings, Kahukiwa depicted the enduring impacts of colonisation while affirming the strength, resilience and sovereignty of Māori communities. Her uncompromising works address issues such as land rights, language revitalisation, racism, displacement and social inequality. Her paintings bring historical and contemporary experiences into dialogue, reflecting her belief that art and political struggle were inseparable. She once asked: ‘How can you paint about Māori and not paint about political issues? How can you separate the two?’

Central to Kahukiwa’s practice was a profound commitment to mana wāhine, celebrating Māori women as creators, nurturers, leaders, activists and protectors. Revered by generations of Māori women, Kahukiwa produced iconic images of motherhood, honouring women for their role in sustaining culture, community and future generations.

Through her distinctive visual language, Kahukiwa connected past and present, drawing on ancestral narratives and Māori carving traditions to create works that are both culturally specific and universally resonant. Her art speaks to the experiences of First Nations peoples globally and the ongoing search for identity, belonging and cultural continuity in the face of colonisation, migration and language loss.

The exhibition highlights key themes that defined Kahukiwa’s career, including identity, tino rangatiratanga (self-determination or sovereignty), whakapapa and mana wāhine (inherent strength, power and authority of Māori women). Together, the works reveal an artist deeply committed to her people and culture, whose images remain powerful expressions of resistance, pride and survival.

In her later years, Kahukiwa received increasing international recognition for her contribution to First Nations art history. Following her passing in 2025, her work continues to inspire artists, scholars and communities in Aotearoa and beyond.