The Northland artists among the 41 finalists are Zoe Letica, from Kerikeri; Annay Kara, from Kaikohe; Mariabeth Pene, Moerewa, Joshua Kiwikiwi, Whangārei, and Elijah Revell, from Tinopai.
The winners will be announced at the exhibition opening on May 21. The finalists’ artworks will then tour Aotearoa over the next two years.
This year, the exhibition is also being displayed at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.
A striking range of portraits using mediums such as video, stop-motion puppetry, ceramics with paua inlay, and oil paintings on glass have been shortlisted for this year’s Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award. The finalists also include works in digital animation, handcrafted earth pigments on canvas, and textiles made from linen, cotton, and glass beads.
The biennial award was established in 2020 as a partnership between the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata, and the late Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII to inspire a new generation of emerging Māori artists to create portraits of their tūpuna (ancestors). The 2025 award is hosted and administered by the gallery in his honour, with the blessing of Kuini Nga wai hono i te po Pootatau Te Wherowhero VIII.
Entries were received from across Aotearoa and beyond, with artists from as far north as Northland and as far south as Otago, alongside Māori artists based in Australia.
Jaenine Parkinson, director of the New Zealand Portrait Gallery, said: ‘‘The quality of entries was outstanding, with each artist showing deep respect for their tūpuna through various mediums.
“It’s incredibly inspiring to see the innovative ways emerging Māori artists are expressing their whakapapa. This award is a vital platform for young artists to share their stories on a national stage while preserving the legacy of their ancestors.”
For a full list of finalists and more information go to nzportraitgallery.org.nz/kiingituheitiaaward.
