Pātaka Art + Museum is hosting two significant exhibitions honouring the life and work of renowned Māori sculptor and carver Fred Graham, offering Porirua residents a rare chance to see key pieces from across his career in one place.
Toi Whakaata / Reflections and Katohia He Wai Moou, Katohia He Wai Mooku opened on December 6 and run until March 8 as part of the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts.
Graham, of Ngāti Korokī Kahukura and Tainui, died in 2025 aged 97. He was widely regarded as a pioneer of the contemporary Māori art movement, known for sculptures that explore whakapapa, whenua and the relationship between people and place.
Toi Whakaata / Reflections brings together a focused selection of works made between 1965 and 2013. The exhibition highlights Graham’s small-scale freestanding sculptures and relief works, tracing the development of his practice over nearly five decades.
Presented alongside it, Katohia He Wai Moou, Katohia He Wai Mooku offers an in-depth look at Graham’s body of work connected to the Waikato River. The exhibition reflects his enduring relationship with the awa and the cultural histories and responsibilities tied to it.
Together, the exhibitions illustrate Graham’s significant contribution to Māori art in Aotearoa and his influence on generations of artists.
Toi Whakaata / Reflections was developed and toured by Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery. Katohia He Wai Moou, Katohia He Wai Mooku was developed by Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery.
The exhibitions are open daily at Pātaka in central Porirua, with associated public programmes and events scheduled throughout the festival period.
For Porirua, the dual showcase offers both a celebration of a nationally significant artist and an opportunity for local audiences to engage with works grounded in te ao Māori and the landscapes that shape it.