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Tanya Ruka

Te Miringa Te Rorarangi | 

Ngati Pakau Te Uriroroi, Te Parawhau, Te Mahurehure Nga Puhi Waitaha-Hokianga

Indigenous Māori Artist | Designer | Independent Researcher | Collaborative.

Active in Environmental Issues from an Indigenous Perspective in Aotearoa NZ & globally, working with the Waitaha Executive Grandmothers Council as Claims Administrator. 

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  •     Mātanga Kōtuitui Pāpori (Community Relationship Specialist), Native Land Digital 2022

  •     Jury Panel Member, Urban Dreams 'Te Wāhi o te Papa Whakāta' a public moving image commission 2022

  •     Research Communications Lead, Native Land Digital, 2021.

  •     Treasurer of the Taheke Gazetted Māori Committee, National Māori Council, 2021. 

  •     Aotearoa Arts Curator, Nature of Cities Festival, 2021.

  • ​    Jury Panel Member, Nature of Cities Festival 2022.​​​

  •     Writer Contributor, Center for Humans and Nature 2021. 

  • ​    Transitional HQ Advisory Board Member, 2021.​

  • ·    Kaitiaki & member of the Better Futures Forum, 2020.

  • ·    Founder, Region Net Positive community network platform, 2020.

  • ·    Creative Director + Founder of Fog & Moon Studio, - since 2017.

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Awarded:

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Toi Taiao Whakatairangi commission, supported by Bioheritage National Science Challenge, 2022

Courtenay Place Park Lightbox Exhibition, Matariki, Public Art Fund Wellington City Council 2022

Letting Space / Urban Dream Brokerage Public Art Commission, Pōneke, Wellington City 2021

Arts Whau Public Art Commission 20/21

Creative New Zealand, Māori Arts Fund recipient 2020
THE 1ST Circuit Matariki Commission for Masons Screen, Public Art, Wellington City 2020
Star Cluster Exhibition Public Art Commission Auckland City Council 2020 (*cancelled due to COVID).

MEMBERSHIP/ COMMUNITY: ARTS & ENVIRONMENTAL INVOLVEMENT

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CIRCUIT ARTIST FILM & VIDEO AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND Arts Agency 2016.​

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE CORBANS ESTATE ART CENTRE 2018-19.​

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Common Earth Alliance - Indigenous Working Group. 

Established the Community Rongoā Forest, Wellington 2021

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Tanya Ruka’s work is held in public and private collections nationally and internationally.

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Creative New Zealand, Māori Arts Fund recipient 2020
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(Image: filmstill Waimapihi - taken by Jade Ruka 2021)

Bio 

Tanya Te Miringa Te Rorarangi Ruka is a Māori Indigenous artist and designer living in Te Whānganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, Capital City of New Zealand). The land of 3 tribal nations: Te Atiawa, Ngati Toa Rangatira and Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika.
She is of Ngati Pakau, Te Uriroroi, Te Parawhau, Te Mahurehure Ngapuhi, and Waitaha Hokianga descent. She is a member of the Taheke Gazetted Māori Committee of the National Māori Council. She has a Master of Art and Design, and works as an independent indigenous researcher, she is active in environmental issues from an indigenous perspective in Aotearoa and globally. Working with the Waitaha Executive Grandmothers Council she has been documenting and mapping the sacred stories of her Tupuna ancestors as evidence for tribal environmental issues involving land and water protection claims through the Treaty of Waitangi. As a Māori artist she is inspired by her ancestry, and the creation stories that place the land as tupuna. Never forgetting the ancestral Master Navigator voyagers of Oceania who always kept their eyes on the horizon in hopeful anticipation, bringing the tribe safely to land. 

Tanya works with Mātauranga Māori (ancestral knowledge and navigational tools) to design pathways of transitional Indigenous Futures and Indigenous Speculative Design.

Working in the digital realm creating stories that firmly place indigenous concepts, knowledge, perspectives and ways of being in the landless territories of new imagined futures. She is currently working with dedicated indigenous and non-indigenous textile researchers, academics, scientists, engineers, growers and local Iwi (tribes). Documenting the journey to develop circular designed, native plant fibre materials and textiles that will help to connect people back to the land through indigenous ways of knowing. She is developing a Community Rongoā (Māori native plant medicine) Forest initiative weaving together ancestral knowledge with integrated app based technology.

Tanya hopes to continue the legacy of her late Uncle, who was sent by her Grandmother into the world to open up pathways of communication with other indigenous tribal nations. As Research Communications Lead for Nativeland Digital she is honoured to be a part of the team and is dedicated to the representation of indigenous tribal voices and their homelands.  

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'manāki whenua, manāki tangata, haere whakamua'.

EXHIBITIONS:

& COLLABORATIVE WORK /

 GROUP SHOWS / CONFERENCES.

2022

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Toi Taiao Whakatairangi Commission June

'Awakening the Taniwha' Mangere Arts Centre, 28th May - 16th July

Courtenay Place Park Lightbox Exhibition Matariki 2022, Public Art Fund Wellington City Council, 28 May - 18 September

Christchurch Art Centre Anaerobic Video screens, CIRCUIT from 2–31 May

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2021

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'Rongo-marea-roa-a-rangi' Letting Space | Urban Dream Brokertage Public Art Commission, 2021

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Imagining Future Foods - Youth Speculative Design Event , Facilitator Installation/ Storytelling, Nov 20

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What Stories Does the Land Hold? Questions for a Resilient Future Series, Center for Humans & Nature,

Published July 2021

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'We look to the Future with Progressive Ideals' group show by Women in Photography Au/NZ

curated by Virginia Woods-Jack

1 April - 7 September, Thistle Hall Community Venue

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Open Homes Exhibition Group Show

All Goods Gallery, Avondale, Auckland

Opening Night 19th June

 

Inter-School Workshop Diversity Actions

La Villette Makerz, Paris/ online, Presenting on Inspiring Biodiversity in Design, University of Nimes 1-3 April 

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Hope Garden Workshop - Weaving Biodiversity with Amanda Hookham and Ecomatters

for the Raranga Rerenga Rauropi Community Art Project

Hope Garden, New Lynn, Ecofest March 21

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'A VERY DIFFERENT WORLD'

TE TUHI

14 FEB - 9 MAY 2021

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AOTEAROA ARTS CURATOR, The Nature of Cities Festival,

22nd - 26th February 2021

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Raranga Rerenga Rauropi: Weaving Biodiversity Community Art Project

* See website for details: Blockhouse Bay/ New Lynn & Avondale libraries

Whau Community Project

Supported by Arts Whau

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2020

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'The Sound of Seeing - Sonic Experiment in Aotearoa Artists Film & Video 1973-2020'

Oct-Nov, The Pyramid Club, Wellington

Circuit Artists Agency & Epic Sweep Records

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Kōhatu Tipua Supernatural Stones

MATARIKI MASON STREET SCREEN

CIRCUIT ARTISTS FILM & VIDEO AOTEAROA NZ

WELLINGTON PUBLIC ART COMMISSION

1 - 29th JULY

https://www.circuit.org.nz/blog/circuit-cast-episode-86-tanya-te-miringa-te-rorarangi-ruka-and-martin-awa-clarke-langdon

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Kõhatu Tipua: Sky Kings - Gannet Kingdom

FUNDED BY CREATIVE NEW ZEALAND, MĀORI ARTS FUND, COMMUNITY ARTS

*Working with Te Manawa library we will be showing 'Kōhatu Tipua: Sky Kings – Gannet Kingdom'

 During Matariki from 1st July, 12th July artist talk & opening.

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STAR CLUSTER EXHIBITION,

PUBLIC ART INSTALLATION MATARIKI Auckland City Council.

Te Manawa.

(Cancelled due to COVID19)

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2019

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Common Earth Conference - design presented, Common Wealth Secretariat Regeneration Conference, LONDON UK, 1 Oct.

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TEXTILE INTERSECTIONS: LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY & ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART, IMPERIAL COLLEGE, LONDON UK

Authors : Faith Kane, Peter Brorens, Marie Joo Le Guen, Angela Kilford and Tanya Ruka
Title :   Exploring a Place-Based Approach to Developing New Materials for Sustainable Futures: Natural Fibre Composites in New Zealand

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Helensville Art Gallery

July 2019

Matariki Group Show.

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RURAL DESIGN WEEK 2019

31 MAY - 9 JUNE

SAN POTITO SANNITICO, ITALY

'Towards a Critical Rurality'.

 

Authors: Dr Faith Kane, Dr Peter Brorens, Dr Marie Joo Le Guen, Rangi Te Kanawa, Angela Kilford & Tanya Ruka.

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2018

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\ Neighbourhood, CEAC Project Space, 27 October.

/ Kete Aronui with Heather Steadman, Matariki, Helensville Art Center, 6 - 28 July

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WEAVING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR AOTEAROA NZ: LEARNING FROM HARAKEKE,

Textiles & Place Symposium, Manchester School of Art, April.

HARAKEKE TEAM: Dr Faith Kane, Huhana Smith, Rangi Te Kanawa.

 

 

2017

 

/ 'Te Taiao'Matariki with Fred Graham Franklin Arts Centre (June)

/ Photographic work published in The Roaring Silence Book by the Depot Artspace.

Published by Depot Press. 

 

2016

 

/ In conjunction with the Circuit Symposium 2016 Phantom Topologies (Saturday 10th September) City Gallery Wellington.

 

“I want to be where I am” exhibition | 8th September – 30th September

‘Whenua <l^ndscape reclamation> | Mākutu #1 Mt Taranaki’  shown with Martha Atienza‘s work titled ‘My navel is buried in the sea.’

The Engine Room, Massey University.

 

/ Matariki Festival at Mangere Arts Centre (June 7 - July 16)

 

2015

 

/ Polynesian Triangle Films screening Spectacle, Brooklyn, NY (Sept)

/ Millennium Film Journal. No. 61 Screening in New York. (June)

/ Matariki - Te Hau a Uru - Arataki Centre Waitakere (June - July)

/ Since 1984: He aha te ahurea-rua? group show St Paul St Gallery (17 April - 22 May)

 

2014

 

/ Te Hau a Uru group show @ Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery (1 Nov - 7 Dec)

/ Exhibition 2 group show artbase.org (14 Aug - 19 Sep)

/ Group Show Te Toi Hou Northart Gallery (23 June - 9 July)

/ Solo show AV room Wallace Arts Trust Centre (April)

 

 

2013

 

/ Art & Sound Matariki on the Waterfront @ Silo Park (July 19 - 20)

/ WHIRIWHIRI-A-ROPU Corbans Estate Art Centre (June 21 - July          28)

   *Artist Talk Saturday June 29 11am

 

2012

 

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/ 10th Anniversary Festival Corbans Estate Art Centre (Sep)
/ 'On the Count of Three' MSVA moving image graduates show Enjoy Gallery Wellington (Aug) 
/ Matariki exhibition with Lisa Reihana, Papakura Art Gallery (June)
/ Assemble Assembly group show St Paul St Gallery (May)

/ Presentation to the Centre for Contemporary Photography NZ

/ Hokianga Art Gallery Waitangi Exhibition (Jan)

 

2011

 

/ 'Tawhiri 3' RM Gallery (Nov/Dec)
/ 'Thou Shalt not Art on Sundays' group show Uxbridge Gallery             (Oct)
/ 'Pink exhibition' group show NZ Steel Gallery (Oct)
/ Auckland Art Week, Highwick House (13th-21st October) 
/ 'Pelago' AV room The Pah Homestead Wallace Arts Trust (29 Aug - 4 Sep)
/ 'Forest for the trees' International Year of the Forest group show Lopdell House Gallery (Aug-Oct)
/ Matariki First Light group show, The NZ Steel Gallery   (July)
/ Finalist Digital Graffiti, Alys Beach Florida (June)
/ Wairoa Maori Film Festival, showcase (June)
/ Nepal 5th International Indigenous Film Festival, invited to travel to Kathmandu Nepal to showcase 'Tawhirimatea' installation during the opening ceremony (April)
/ Auckland Art Festival White Night, Wallace Arts Trust Centre

 

2009

 

/ Finalist Wallace Arts Trust Awards

/ Matariki Exhibition group show, Corban's Estate Art Gallery

 

2006

 

/ DVA Exhibition group show, PPG Gallery
/ 'Nga Tuahine Huanuku' Exhibition group show, West-Coast Gallery
/ 'Ara Poutama' Exhibition group show, Lopdell House Community Gallery

/ Resident Artist Tanya Maree Studio & Gallery
/ 'Whare Tangata' Exhibition group show, Lopdell House Community Gallery
/ Life Exhibition group show, Auckland Cancer Society, Aotea Centre

 

2004

 

/ Exhibit Waitakere City Hospital
/ Exhibit Lush Design Gallery
/ Commission 10 paintings, President Plaza Hotel

PUBLICATIONS

Printed & online media authored by Tanya Ruka (& / or) multiple authors + artists, or artworks, art catalogues, essays, books, illustrating books + covers, magazines & articles.