Māori Arts — Whakairo, Kōwhaiwhai, Tukutuku
Māori visual arts are a rich tradition of carving, weaving, painting, and contemporary expression that carry stories, genealogy (whakapapa), and spiritual meaning.
Whakairo (Carving)
Whakairo is the Māori art of carving: in wood, bone, stone, and pounamu (greenstone). Carved meeting houses (wharenui) are masterpieces of this art form, with every panel and post representing an ancestor. See our dedicated guide to Māori carving for more detail.
Kōwhaiwhai (Scroll Patterns)
Kōwhaiwhai are the distinctive curved scroll patterns painted on the rafters of meeting houses, on waka (canoes), and in contemporary Māori design. The flowing, rhythmic patterns often represent:
- Pitau: the unfurling fern frond, symbolising new life and growth
- Koru: a spiral shape based on the silver fern
- Kape: a crescent shape representing the moon
- Mangōpare: hammerhead shark, symbolising strength and perseverance
Traditionally painted in red (kōkōwai), white (uku), and black (pango), kōwhaiwhai patterns are now seen in architecture, fashion, graphic design, and public art throughout New Zealand.
Tukutuku (Panels)
Tukutuku are decorative woven panels that line the walls of meeting houses. Made from natural materials like harakeke (flax), kiekie, and pingao, these geometric patterns tell stories and convey tribal knowledge.
Common tukutuku patterns include poutama (stairway to heaven), niho taniwha (teeth of the taniwha), and kaokao (the ribs: symbolising strength and support).
Contemporary Māori Art
Modern Māori artists have taken traditional forms in new directions. Notable artists include:
- Ralph Hotere: one of New Zealand's most significant modernist painters
- Cliff Whiting: celebrated painter and carver, pioneer of contemporary Māori art
- Lisa Reihana: multi-media and video artist, represented NZ at the Venice Biennale
- Shane Cotton: painter exploring Māori iconography and colonial history
- Michael Parekōwhai: sculptor and installation artist
Major galleries such as the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Wellington), Auckland Art Gallery, and regional galleries across the country offers both traditional and contemporary Māori art.
Māori Art in the 2026 Market
Māori art has moved from ethnographic curiosity to a thriving contemporary market. Auction records for historic whakairo (carvings) and modern works by artists such as Ralph Hotere and Michael Parekōwhai continue to climb, and museums worldwide seek Māori taonga for major exhibitions.
For buyers, the key distinction is provenance and authenticity: genuine taonga carry whakapapa (genealogy) and are sold through reputable galleries, auction houses and iwi channels, while mass-produced 'Maori-style' souvenirs have no cultural standing. Look for the Toi Iho quality mark, which certifies authentic Māori art and artists.
Prices reflect this: original contemporary works by established Māori artists routinely sell in the tens of thousands of dollars, and historic whakairo can reach auction records, while the market for quality pounamu jewellery has grown steadily with the greenstone's cultural profile. If you are collecting, buy what you love and can trace — and expect values to be driven by story and provenance as much as aesthetics.
Where to See Māori Art in 2026
- Te Papa Tongarewa (Wellington): the national museum's Te Marae and Toi Art galleries hold the country's most comprehensive Māori collections.
- Auckland War Memorial Museum: world-class taonga Māori galleries, including the great waka and the carved wharenui.
- Te Puia (Rotorua): the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute — watch master carvers and weavers at work.
- Waitangi Treaty Grounds: Te Whare Rūnanga, a fully carved meeting house, and the world's largest ceremonial waka.
- Regional galleries: Toi Moroki (Christchurch) and city galleries across the country regularly feature contemporary Māori artists.
- Art fairs: events like the annual Toi Māori market and gallery open days showcase emerging artists.
Traditional Crafts Still Thriving
Raranga (weaving) using harakeke (flax), kiekie and pingao continues through kōhanga reo, wānanga and weaving schools, while kōwhaiwhai patterns now appear on buildings, aircraft and fashion as a signature of New Zealand design. Tukutuku panels are still hand-woven for new meeting houses, keeping ancient patterns and their stories alive.
Museums and galleries increasingly work alongside iwi to display and care for taonga, and repatriation agreements have returned ancestral remains and treasures from overseas collections — a reminder that Māori art is inseparable from the people and places that created it.
Contemporary Māori artists — from painters to digital and video artists — regularly represent New Zealand internationally, and iwi-led public art commissions (at airports, on transport, in civic buildings) mean visitors encounter living Māori art wherever they travel.