Māori art is reaching new audiences across the world, with The Space Between Both Worlds bringing Indigenous artists together in New York. The exhibition features artists from around the globe, providing a platform to share their stories, culture, history, and lived experiences through art.
“Ko River Jayden tooku ingoa, he ringatoi Māori ahau, I specialise in graphic design but sort of, over the years I also do murals, and a lot of light installations, and sort of that’s kind of been my main focus at the moment is taking our Toi to the streets,” says River Jayden.
Jayden is one of the Māori artists featured in the exhibition. Through graphic design, murals and light installations, she takes Toi Māori beyond traditional gallery spaces and into public spaces. Her contemporary work brings Māori culture and whakaaro into urban environments, offering audiences a different way to engage with Toi Māori.
Bringing together artists from across the globe
The exhibition has created an opportunity for Māori ringatoi to represent Aotearoa alongside Indigenous artists from around the world. Curator Don Baker and her curatorial team selected several Māori artists for the exhibition, establishing a strong Māori presence in New York.
“Don Baker and her curatorial team had selected quite a few ringatoi Māori, and so it’s been a really massive opportunity for us to get out in the streets,” says Jayden.
For the artists involved, the exhibition is about more than displaying their work. It allows Toi Māori to reach audiences who may have had little exposure to Māori art and culture. As one of the world’s largest and most influential cities, New York provides a significant international platform for Māori artists to share their mahi and stories.
Indigenous art captures global attention
The audience response has highlighted a strong interest in Indigenous art and storytelling. Toi Māori carries connections to whakapapa, atua, whenua and identity, while contemporary ringatoi are finding new ways to share those ideas with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
“There’s a real love and need for Toi Māori to be out in spaces, and so, our atua and toi is so special and so encapsulating that it’s actually just grabbing people, a lot of people within New York,” says Jayden.
The name The Space Between Both Worlds also connects to the idea of moving between different worlds, cultures, and ways of seeing. For Māori artists, this can mean expressing mātauranga Māori and traditional knowledge into contemporary forms while still remaining grounded in the whakapapa of their stories.
Showing Toi Māori internationally also challenges the idea that Indigenous art belongs only in museums or customary settings. Artists like Jayden are taking Māori art into streets, galleries and cities, creating new opportunities for audiences to engage with it.
For Jayden, New York could be just the beginning. She hopes to travel to Canada and work alongside First Nations whānau, creating opportunities for Māori and First Nations artists to collaborate and share ideas.
“I really want to go to Canada and spend some time with the First Nations whānau and kind of collab Māori art that way as well,” says Jayden.
