NGĀ KETE PĪKAU

NGĀ KETE PĪKAU by Nyle Turuwhenua

Dimensions: 200 x 90mm, image size
Signed Open edition relief Linocut, Black int on Fabriano paper

‘Ngā Kete Pīkau’ is a reflection of the things we carry physically, emotionally, and generationally. The kete, a woven backpack, is both a practical object and an important symbol in te ao Māori, a vessel of knowledge, responsibility, and inheritance. In this work, I consider the dual nature of the kete: a vessel of depth and care. What do we inherit, and what do we choose to pack? Through material, form, and repetition, ‘Ngā Kete Pīkau’ becomes a reflection on whakapapa, labour, and the unseen weight of cultural memory. It aims to remind us of those who carried before us, and an invitation to consider what
we will carry forward.

Linocut is a relief printmaking technique similar to woodcut, but carved into linoleum instead of wood. The artist cuts away areas of the block to create a design, then inks the raised surface. The image is transferred to paper by hand or press, producing clean, graphic prints.

Nyle Turuwhenua’s work explores notions of whakapapa, connection, and mātauranga Māori. For Nyle, developing skills as a weaver has been an important catalyst in her personal and artistic growth, opening pathways to reflect on identity and cultural heritage. Her printmaking practice encapsulates ideas of kaitiakitanga, intergenerational knowledge, and ancestral connection through physical making. In Nyle’s work, birds and weaving play a key role in the act of kaitiakitanga. Nyle values the tactile and the handmade, embracing the labour involved in printmaking and weaving. Both of these processes involve preparation, repeated actions, and physical dexterity, which sometimes leads to hands that are calloused and cut. For Nyle, art making is a labour of love, a journey of discovery, and a practice that fosters deep connections to self, others and whenua. Nyle Turuwhenua is a proud member of Toi Whakaata Māori Print Collective.