Description:

Spanning more than 50 years of practice, Te Hau Whakatonu: A Series of Never-ending Beginnings is a landmark survey exhibition of Toi Māori from the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery Collection. It is the first dedicated showcase of the gallery's Māori art collection, which comprises 65 works by 22 Māori artists, many of which are shown in this exhibition.

The show's title – Te Hau Whakatonu speaks to the continuous winds in relation to Māori art practice. Winds that are always alive, always directional and moving with intent. The show's sub-title – A Series of Never-ending Beginnings speaks to layers of whakapapa (genealogy) and offers a cyclic understanding of time and space from a Māori perspective. With so much richness in these titles, our approach was to activate these words to become distinctive identity markers for the exhibition.

The custom lettering for Te Hau Whakatonu is a direct expression of the wind and its energies. The thin, light letters are alive with horizontal movement, swaying and gusting in surprising ways. While the English sub-title; A Series of Never-ending Beginnings, contrasts this with its spiralling vortex form, symbolising creation and the continuous pursuit of knowledge.

Throughout the designs, the title and subtitle graphics act as living elements moving in response to each other and to space. Being a survey show, a range of artwork photos were used interchangeably in place of the usual singular hero image. To further embed ideas of wind and air, a soft palette of white, light grey and cream was developed to offer airy moments across print, digital and material applications. The design system was rolled out across posters, banners, ads, catalogues, merch items, social media and physical exhibition signage.