Sex and power in Māori carving

Abstract

Traditionally Maori carving has been regarded as depicting benign ancestors. However, when looked at more closely we can see these carvings as articulators of sex and power in Maori culture - from the choice of ancestor depicted, to the way in which they are rendered, to their placement in the meeting house. This session will delve into political, social and cultural contexts to reveal how carvings track gender and social hierarchies over time. This will be framed within the dynamics of a current joint project between a practising photographic artist and an art historian from the same tribe, Ngati Porou.