Fibre Gallery is the first of its kind in Te Wai Pounamu, a distinctly Moana-focused gallery dedicated to showcasing community-engaged, digital, and heritage artworks by Moana creatives.

Based in the heart of Ōtautahi Christchurch, Fibre Gallery is committed to increasing the visibility of Pacific artists and fostering greater understanding and appreciation of contemporary Pacific art among New Zealanders. By providing resources, opportunities, and a platform to amplify creative voices, we celebrate the richness of Pacific artistry and its role in shaping cultural expression.

Our mission extends to building connections between contemporary Pacific voices and wider social and political conversations, ensuring Pacific creativity plays a vital role in broader narratives.

We proudly acknowledge Ngāi Tūāhuriri iwi as mana whenua of this takiwā and as the rightful custodians of the land on which we stand.

Contact us at: fibregallery@tagatamoana.com

‘Aimata Awards 2026

Call for Entries

Fibre Gallery is proud to present the ‘Aimata’s National Secondary School Pacific Arts Awards 2026, a national celebration of Pacific youth creativity and culture. We invite Pacific secondary school students and recent school leavers aged 15–19 from across Aotearoa to submit their artwork for consideration.

There is no theme and entries are welcome in any visual medium – including film, photography, digital work, painting, drawing, printmaking, and sculpture.

This year, five outstanding artists will be selected. Their works will be professionally exhibited at Fibre Gallery in Ōtautahi Christchurch, opening on 13 June 2026.
Selected artists will receive flights and accommodation to attend the opening ceremony, with cash prizes awarded to the top three artworks:

1st Prize: $2000
2nd Prize: $1500
3rd Prize: $1000

All works will be judged by a panel of leading Pacific artists and cultural leaders.
Fibre Gallery will cover all costs for shipping selected works to and from the gallery.

Only submit documentation for one work not multiple works or art full portfolios.

The ‘Aimata Awards are dedicated to uplifting emerging Pacific artists and sharing the stories of our communities through art.

Submit your entry below and be part of this celebration of Pacific excellence.

If you need any help with the form or have any questions email Aimataawards@tagatamoana.com

Submissions close February 28th Midnight 2026

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Kūkulu Hale Kūkulu Kaiaulu | Tiana Te Rongopatahi Mo’iha

13 October - 21 November 2025

This exhibition celebrates Indigenous Kanaka Maoli engineering, architecture, and the strength of community, drawing on ‘ike kupuna (ancestral knowledge) and natural resources gathered across Waitaha, Te Waipounamu, and Moananuiākea. Kūkulu Hale, Kūkulu Kaiaulu shares the creative process and cultural wisdom that guide Tiana's practice, highlighting the role of art in community empowerment.

Rooted in the Indigenous Hawaiian practice of kūkulu hale–the traditional art of house building–this project brings together local Māori, Pasifika, and Ōtautahi communities to co-create a hale (house) that embodies laulima (many hands working together) and aloha ‘āina (love and respect for the land). Each component of the structure carries the collective energy of collaboration and care, transforming architectural practice into a living act of ceremony and cultural continuity.

Through this work, Mo’iha reframes building as an expression of resilience and belonging–where ancestral technologies meet contemporary challenges, and where indigenous knowledge systems continue to shape sustainable and connected futures.

Fibre Gallery acknowledges the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies and Creative New Zealand for their support and commitment to Pacific arts in Aotearoa.

This exhibition celebrates Tiana Malina Te Rongopatahi Mo’iha, the 2025 Macmillan Brown Pacific Artist in Residence – part of Aotearoa’s longest-running Pacific arts residency, fostering indigenous creativity and community.

Artist Biography

Tiana Malina Te Rongopatahi Mo’iha is a multifaceted cultural practitioner, educator, musician, artist, creator, actor, and community leader dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich heritage of Hawai‘i, Moananuiākea, and all Indigenous peoples. As founder and CEO of Indi-Genius Minds, she develops innovative educational tools and programmes that reconnect people with nature, culture, and identity. Her work blends Indigenous knowledge and ancestral wisdom with contemporary practice to foster a deep appreciation for Indigenous cultures and values.

Over the past two decades, Tiana has led and taught in more than sixty hale builds across Hawai’i and Aotearoa, as well as numerous workshops integrating cultural education, arts, and sustainability. Her creative leadership exemplifies the transformative potential of indigenous design – building not just structures, but communities grounded in care, connection, and ancestral intelligence.

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Belonging to the Tide | Alex King

A place of fluidity, how culture endures even as the world changes. Deeply rooted in island and ocean identity.

7 August - 19 September

A glimpse into the Storytelling Photography & Documentary by Alex King.

This photographic series is part of a bigger project undertaken by King in 2024, encompassing a short film, documentary, and further photographs; offering an intimate portrait of the small resilient community of Pukapuka, a remote coral atoll in the northern Cook Islands.

The Wale’ people of Pukapuka live deeply rooted in their indigenous social and environmental systems. Despite their physical isolation, their way of life remains intricately connected to the land, sea, and cultural traditions that have sustained them for generations. As the outside world continues to shift, bringing climate change, coastal erosion, rising ocean temperatures, and Western influences, communities like Pukapuka face growing threats to their autonomy and ecological balance.

Yet it is precisely this remoteness that has protected Pukapuka for so long, enabling the community to uphold practices such as Ra’ui, a traditional conservation system that regulates the use of natural resources to ensure sustainability for future generations.

At the heart of Pukapuka's resilience is its social fabric, where women hold vital roles. The island follows a matriarchal system in which women are deeply respected as planters, growers, and stewards of traditional knowledge, especially in cultivating taro and leading creative and cultural practices. Whilst the men continue their fishing traditions and raising young boys on old practices and navigating knowledge.

Visually, this exhibition draws on a storytelling style that bridges past and present. Subtly toned black and white images, evoke a sense of timelessness, honoring the community’s enduring traditional way of life. These images contrast with color visuals that represent the present day, creating a layered narrative that speaks to continuity, memory, and resilience.

Through the voices of local leaders like Pati Ravarua, president of the women’s group on Pukapuka and nearby Nassau, and Mayor Levi, with other community members, these are honest reflections of identity, adaptation, and cultural strength.

As a Maori woman creative, this story is deeply personal to King. It is a reflection of her roots, a tribute to her lineage and the knowledge held by our women, a responsibility to amplify voices that are often unheard.