A Timely Survey

Concepts of service and whakapapa characterise Wi Taepa’s ceramic practice. This comes through strongly in his current exhibition Wi Taepa: Retrospective at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, created in partnership with Pataka Art + Museum. Personally and artistically his works speak of giving back—particularly to those in difficult circumstances, such as in prison (he worked as a prison officer from 1973 to 1984) and in borstal (he was senior social worker at a boys’ home). They also connect with practices from the past and the artists who worked within them, as well as to other uku/clay artists working today.

For Taepa (Ngati Whakaue, Te Arawa, Te Ati Awa), exploring uku has provided a space in which he can think through not only his personal history, but also look outwards to use clay as a way of connecting artistically across various art forms. This can be seen in several series of works in Retrospective, including Raranga Cross Hatching (weaving), Mahere Mapping (carving), and Hononga Connections (Lapita pottery).

While some may argue that Maori ‘have no history’ of clay working, Taepa’s practice disputes this. Indeed, his work asserts that uku is an ancestral art form that