Emily Karaka, Reuben Kirkwood

Emily Karaka, Reuben Kirkwood

Emily Karaka is a leading figure in contemporary Māori art and has been the recipient of The Tylee Cottage and McCahon House residencies, with her works held in most major art institutions in Aotearoa and in a number of significant private collections. She has an extensive career, being included in the landmark exhibition Te Waka Toi (1992), which opened in San Diego, California to coincide with the America’s Cup Race and toured throughout Canada; Five Māori Painters (2014), Auckland Art Gallery: Toi o Tāmaki; NIRIN, 22nd Biennale of Sydney (2020); Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art (2021); solo survey exhibition Ka Awatea, A New Dawn, Sharjah Art Foundation UAE (2024); and Hawaiʻi Triennale Aloha Nō (2025).

For Sculpture on The Gulf 2027, Emily will collaborate with fellow Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki mandated mana whenua artist Reuben Kirkwood, whose architectural sculptural works adorn civic and commercial buildings throughout Auckland and whose carved gateways and pou are installed on many sites of significance and on islands in the Hauraki Gulf, including Rangitoto and Motutapu.