Nikau Hindin presented by N.Smith Gallery

Artist Talk with Nikau Hindin in the N.Smith Gallery booth, discussing her solo presentation for the Fair.

Nikau Hindin is a contemporary Māori artist from Ngā Puhi and Te Rarawa. She is renowned for reviving the traditional Māori art form of aute (barkcloth). Hindin creates intricate, hand-painted designs on aute using natural pigments, incorporating celestial navigation motifs and traditional Māori patterns. Her work explores themes of whakapapa (genealogy), environmental consciousness, and cultural reclamation. Through the process of reclaiming toi aute she connects Māori communities with ancestral navigation, environmental knowledge, and traditional artistic practices, ensuring these stories are both preserved and enlivened for future generations.

Her work has been exhibited widely, including at the 24th Biennale of Sydney in 2024 as part of Ten Thousand Suns, where she was one of 13 Indigenous artists supported by Fondation Cartier. She also contributed to Badu Gili: Celestial, an animation projected onto the Sydney Opera House in 2023-24, curated by the Sydney Biennale. In 2023, Ngā Whetū Maiangi, an ensemble of 13 star maps and an aute quilt, was commissioned for Choreographies Of The Impossible at the 35th Bienal De São Paulo. That same year, her work was part of Naadohbii, To Draw Water at Pataka Art Museum, a tri-national touring exhibition connecting Turtle Island, Australia, and Aotearoa.

Booth G04
This event is free to all ticket holders and does not require an RSVP.