the essentials of being a native

In the exploration of colonial influences on the representation of Indigenous peoples, Matt Tini scrutinises the colonial gaze directed at Tangata Whenua through a series of photography and moving image works. By reclaiming and disrupting the visual codes that have homogenised and essentialised Indigenous identities, Matt challenges the limiting paradigms upheld by both colonisers and the colonised. 

By reclaiming stereotypes such as the native at one with nature and relic of a dying race, and displacing others like the dusky maiden and female nude, Matt challenges viewers' perceptions of the Indigenous body, identity, and experience from a deeply personal perspective while offering paths for others to connect. Unserious yet earnest, the essentials of being a native manipulates the visual language of colonisers, engaging with colonial fantasies while breaking them open. 

Image: native habitat (vignettes) (2023) by Matt Tini.

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Gallery Programmes accompanying this exhibition:

3 May - Opening Preview
4 May - Artist Kōrero with Samson Dell, Matt Tini and Belinda Whitta
10 June - Curator Tours with Melina Payne
22 June - Connecting through wānanga