Sarah Hudson Photo: supplied
Each week Culture 101 puts the spotlight on a different region in Aotearoa and this week we’re in the Bay of Plenty town of Whakatāne. Located at the mouth of the river of the same name, Whakatāne punches above its weight when it comes to artists and laureates.
With 44 percent of the population Māori, the cultural ties are strong and Maori activities are nurtured.
Sarah Hudson (Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Pūkeko) is part of the winning Mataaho Collective. The group of four Māori women are renowned for their large-scale art installations and have been collaborating since 2012. Earlier this year, they scooped one of the world’s most prestigious art prizes - the Golden Lion at the 60th Venice Biennale for their large-scale work Takapau - made of woven and latticed polyester hi-vis tie-downs.
Hudson is preparing for a two-week residency on Japan’s Naoshima island - fondly known as the ‘art island’. It’s part of her research on islands - both in Japan and those in Whakatāne.
Sarah Hudson spoke to Culture 101 for the weekly ‘regional wrap’.
