A new Matariki exhibition at Pātaka Art + Museum will transform Toi Gallery into a tamariki-friendly celebration of the atua connected to Matariki.
Ngā Atua ō Matariki, by Apex the Artist, runs from Saturday, June 13, to Sunday, July 19, 2026.
The exhibition features nine portraits that reimagine the atua of Matariki through contemporary tinana mahi toi, or face and body painting.
Apex the Artist paints tangata whenua models to embody the strengths and characteristics of each star. The temporary works are then captured and presented as photographs.
The exhibition explores the body as a living canvas, honouring the vessel formed from the earth by the atua and shaped through generations.
This Matariki season, Pātaka is celebrating Pōhutukawa, the guiding star associated with remembrance and those who have died.
The exhibition also honours Apex the Artist’s late father, Pitaarangaōtemahita Rongopai.
Pita is on his journey on Te Waka o Rangi, with Matariki 2026 marking the completion of that journey.
Visitors will be invited to decorate their own star and place it next to Pita’s portrait in the exhibition, symbolically sending it with him on his journey.
Pātaka says the exhibition is designed as an immersive experience for tamariki and whānau, while offering space for reflection, creativity and remembrance.
Ngā Atua ō Matariki will be on show in Toi Gallery at Pātaka Art + Museum, Porirua, from June 13 to July 19, 2026.