Robyn Kahukiwa

Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga a Hauiti

Robyn Kahukiwa grew up in Australia and came to New Zealand in 1959 when her mother died. In 1993 she travelled to the United States networking with Native American artists and has been back to New York eight times since then exhibiting her paintings and prints annually. She is a leading contemporary Māori artist who, in addition to painting, has written children’s books and has initiated a number of collaborative publications with other Māori writers.

Biographical sources

  • Phone conversation and correspondence with Robyn Kahukiwa, August 1998.
  • Justin Peyton. "Kahukiwa Takes Tradition into the Future." The Press 8 Dec. 1993: 13.

    Children's literature

  • Ihaka and the Summer Wandering. ?: Oxford UP, 1982.
  • Taniwha. Auckland, N.Z.: Viking Kestrel, 1986.
  • The story of a little boy and his journeys with a taniwha who shows him Tangaroa, Ranginui, and Papatuanuku. This book won the 1987 Aim Children’s Book Award.
  • Taniwha. Ko te huri ki te reo Māori na Keri Kaa. Auckland, N.Z.: Puffin Books, 1986.
  • A Māori translation of Taniwha.
  • Paikea. He kōrero purakau tahito na Robyn Kahukiwa. Ko te huri ki te reo Māori na Keri Kaa. Auckland, N.Z.: Viking, 1993 Rpt. in The Best Children’s Books in the World. New York USA: Harry N. Abrams, 1996.
  • Māori language text which was awarded a N.Z. libraries award.
  • The Koroua and the Mauri Stone. Auckland, N.Z.: Puffin, 1994. Rpt. in Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing for Children. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 4: Te Ara o Te Hau: The Path of the Wind. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1994. 138-140.
  • As the koroua sits looking over the bare landscape of his ancestors he remember how in his childhood the landscape was forested and filled with native birds. He decides that the mauri stone must be found so that the children of Tāne can be protected again.
  • Te Koroua me te Kōhatu Mauri. Nā Robyn Kahukiwa. Ko te huri ki te reo Māori nā Wikuki Kaa. Auckland, N.Z.: Puffin, 1994.
  • Māori language translation of The Koroua and the Mauri Stone.
  • Kehua. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin (N.Z.) Ltd, 1996.

  • Non-fiction

  • "Robyn Kahukiwa." School Library Review 8.3 (1988): 6-7.

  • Other

  • "Robyn Kahukiwa: Ngāti Porou." Interview by Keri Kaa. Seven Māori Artists. Wellington, N.Z.: V. R. Ward, Government Printer, 1986. 34-37.
  • Kahukiwa discusses her interest in art from an early age and describes her development as an artist juggling family and teaching responsibilities with her search for her Māori roots.
  • Oriori. Auckland, N.Z.: Tandem, 1998.
  • Art by Robyn Kahukiwa, text by Roma Potiki.

    • Traditional

  • Wahine Toa: Women of Māori Myth. Auckland, N.Z.: Collins, 1984. Extracts rpt in Te Ao Mārama: Contemporary Māori Writing. Comp. and ed. Witi Ihimaera. Contributing ed. Haare Williams, Irihapeti Ramsden and D. S. Long. Vol. 5: Te Torino: The Spiral. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed, 1996. 278-281.
  • Paintings and drawings by Robyn, text by Patricia Grace. This publication followed an exhibition by Robyn Kahukiwa entitled Wahine Toa which toured New Zealand in the early 1980s. Kahukiwa provides an introduction in which she discusses the importance of myths and gives a background to her paintings. Accompanying Kahukiwa’s paintings and drawings. Patricia Grace provides narratives of the eight women of strength embodied in early Māori mythology: Te Po, Papatuanuku, Hine-ahu-one, Hine-titama, Taranga, Mahuika, Muriranga-whenua, and Hine-nui-te-Po. Kahukiwa concludes by writing her own outline of the myths represented.

    • Visual Arts

  • He Aha Te Mea Nui? Patricia Grace and Robyn Kahukiwa. Auckland, N.Z.: Longman Paul, 1985.
  • Ma Wai? Patricia Grace and Robyn Kahukiwa. Auckland, N.Z.: Longman Paul, 1985.
  • Ko au Tenei. Patricia Grace and Robyn Kahukiwa. Auckland, N.Z.: Longman Paul, 1985.
  • Ahakoa he Iti. Patricia Grace and Robyn Kahukiwa. Auckland, N.Z.: Longman Paul, 1985.

    Other

  • Brito, Tamara. "Brushing with her Genes." Pacific Way (1988): 10-14.
  • Dann, Christine. "Wahine Toa." Broadsheet (1983): 25.
  • A review of Kahukiwa’s exhibition Wahine Toa which toured through New Zealand in 1983.
  • Kaa, Keri. "Robyn Kahukiwa." Seven Māori Artists. Wellington, N.Z.: V. R. Ward, Government Printer, 1986. 34-37.
  • "Robyn Kahukiwa." Women and the Arts in New Zealand: Forty Works, 1936-1986. Eds. Elizabeth Eastmond and Merimeri Penfold. Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin, 1986.
  • Dunkle, Margaret. The Story Makers. Melbourne, Austral.: Oxford UP, 1987A .
  • Rowe, Neil. "Robyn Kahukiwa." Art New Zealand 45 (1987/88): 60-62.
  • Peyton, Justin. "Kahukiwa Takes Tradition into the Future." The Press 8 Dec. 1993: 13.
  • Fitzgibbon, Tom and Spiers, Barton. "Beneath Southern Skies." Ashton Scholastic (1993). No further details.
  • Gaskin, Chris. "Picture Book Magic." (1996). No further details.
  • Erai, Michelle, Fuli, Everdina, Irwin, Kathie and Wilcox, Lenaire. Māori Women: An Annotated Bibliography. [Wellington, N.Z.]: Michelle Erai, Everdina Fuli, Kathie Irwin and Lenaire Wilcox, 1991. 4, 15, 29.

  • Reviews

  • Te Awekotuku, Ngahuia. "Entering into Another World." Dominion Sunday Times 12 May 1991: 22.
  • Taylor, Rob. "The Bigger the Better for Zuster (Zusters)" Dominion 12 Sept. 1991: 12.
  • Brito, Tamara. "Brushing with Her Genes." Pacific Way 11 (1988): 10-14.
  • He Aha Te Mea Nui/Ma Wai/Ko Au Tenei/Ahakoa He Iti
  • Tu Tangata 27 (1985/86): 47.
  • Wahine Toa
  • Coney, Sandra. "Auckland, N.Z.ers Miss Wahine Toa." Broadsheet 112 (1983): 10.
  • A review of Robyn’s exhibition.
  • Evans, M. & I. Ramsden. "Te Mana Wahine." Listener 30 June 1984: 68.
  • Evans, R. Broadsheet 120 (1984): 42.
  • Gordon, D. NZ Woman’s Weekly 28 May 1984: 166.
  • Hulme, Keri. "Legends Brought to Life." Evening Post 3 May 1991: 7.
  • New Zealand Wine Glass 40 (1984): 44.
  • Teresa, Isabelle. Canta 61.14 (1991): 12.
  • "Wahine Toa." Broadsheet 109 (1983): 25.
  • Webb, Evan. "Images of Women Given Truer Form." Dominion Sunday Times 24 Feb. 1991: 23.