Maraea Timutimu

Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi

Maraea Timutimu is a multi-disciplinary from Tauranga Moana. She’s an art kaiako in Tauranga, and a former student of Queen Victoria Māori Girls Boarding School. Maraea has produced across a wide range of mediums, through paint, sculpture, printmaking and installation. Often coming back to our traditional arts, poi, tukutuku, and raranga.

Maraea was introduced to natural dyes and colour pigments during time as a student of Tina Wirihana at Te Wānanga o Awanuiarangi. In recent times, whenua has become a medium for her to explore connection and whakapapa, as she brings together pigments from Tūhoe, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi te Rangi. It has become a way to document the places to which she belongs.

There is power in connecting to your pepeha in a literal way. The painting is your maunga, your awa or your moana.

Alongside using whenua pigments in her individual art practice, Maraea is also engaged in the kaupapa of sharing this knowledge with her wider hapori.