From the Ashes, October 17th – November 21st   

Opening: Saturday 17th October, 3-5pm   

Te Toi Uku is delighted to present From the Ashes – an exhibition of contemporary ceramics that reimagine vessels for ashes, whenua and kaitiaki taonga.   

Curated by Chantel Matthews, From the Ashes brings together Indigenous makers and contemporary ceramic artists from across Aotearoa, opening conversations around death, cremation and remembrance, alongside tikanga and whānau-led cultural care.  

Through these works, the artists explore how contemporary ipu (vessels) can hold both artistic and spiritual purpose, offering alternatives to mainstream funerary forms while upholding the mana of the person held within them. These ipu are crafted, beautiful and alive, offering an intimate alternative as burial plots become harder to afford and land harder to find.  

Matthews's work as a community advocate at Mercy Hospice in Ponsonby, Auckland, underpins the exhibition with a commitment to end-of-life care for vulnerable communities, including Tangata whenua. Each ipu emerged from wānanga exploring how material practice holds grief and legacy, and acts as a return - a way of carrying someone home with intention.    

Displayed within the Ambrico Kiln, the only surviving structure from West Auckland's clay industry, this exhibition invites us to consider the stories of our past and how we honour the memory of those who are no longer with us.    

Artists: Amelia Kahurangi, Amanda Billing, Alex Wong, Baye Riddell, Chantel Matthews, Dave Austin, Esther McDonald, Francesca Contaldo, Fleur Palmer, Georgia Good, James Webster, Michelle Huizinga, Sutong Zhou and Tristan Marler. 

This exhibition is supported by Auckland Council’s Creative Communities Scheme and the Whau Local Board.