You are invited to the opening of the solo exhibition ‘Nākirokiro’anga – Learning – The Transmission Of Hope’ by Clinton Mata-Etu-Rau Hewett.

This exhibition created by Cook Island artist and author, Clinton Mata-Etu-Rau Hewett, can be separated into two bodies of work. The first directly references stories from Aitutaki history that are shared through the traditional practice of oral storytelling. The second body of work explores the visual language of storytelling through Cook Island cultural dance and historic symbolic imagery and is a celebration of the positive and unequivocal contributions female role models have made and continue to make to improve our lives.

A practice that has existed throughout the history of many Pacific identities, cultural dance has endured and transmitted Cook Island narratives and historic chronicles, of which have been intrinsic to the sustainability of cultural values and interconnections found within our tribal societies.

Traditional choreography, accompanied by song, have shared our ancestral stories of love, customary obligation and imagery that are drawn from our enriching and in some cases, degradation of our tropical habitat. More recently it has provided a connection and continuation of our heritage arts practices that currently exist within the Cook Island diaspora of Aotearoa and Australia.

Stripped back and void of the nakedness of their anatomy, the female forms represent the superior grace and expression, unequaled in our performance storytelling. As we begin to understand our changing environment, migration and globalization, we adapt to becoming chameleon-like, within our new surroundings, while continuing to represent our culture and stories, through the practice of narrative cultural dance.