of forests and concrete presents new work by Matt Tini, developed through his ongoing research into harakeke as both resonant material and image-making surface. Harvested from whenua in Kuku and inner-city Pukeahu, the flax is transformed into paper, then infused with plant extracts to create light-sensitive grounds for photographic exposure.
Using anthotypes, an early photographic process activated by Tamanuiterā, Tini brings together mātauranga Māori, tikanga and material experimentation. While paper-making sits outside customary practice, he extends its possibilities through a reciprocal exchange with harakeke. The resulting self-portraits are collaborations with te taiao, reflecting urban Māori realities and the layered, contemporary relationship to whenua.
Matt Tini (Waikato, Ngaati Tiipa, Ngaati Mahuta, Ngāti Rākaipaaka, Ngāti Kahungunu) is an artist and educator who works with photography, moving image and native fibres. Deeply grounded in whakapapa, Māori cosmologies and contemporary lived experiences, Tini’s practice considers what it means to be tangata whenua in relation with and through te taiao. These ever-shifting reflections influence Tini’s material and conceptual curiosities.
Related Events
All Events-
Visual Arts Theatre -
Visual Arts -
Visual Arts