UCOL are proud to celebrate the artistic talents of creative UCOL kaiako and past graduates at a new exhibition at Te Manawa.
UCOL Bachelor of Creative Media lecturers Gary Whiting and Phill Andrews, Master of Design graduates Wona Le Roux and Cecelia Kumeroa, and Art and Design graduate Steve Leurink have contributed works to Te Puna o te Atua, an exhibition that delves into a concept that artist, tohunga and Whiting's pāpara (father), Dr Cliff Whiting, explored through his 2015 paper 'The Ultimate Reality is Spirit'.
Featuring a range of media, including photography, videography, painting, and textiles, the exhibition brings together works from 15 local artists from Te Awahou Collective. The Collective was formed in 2021 to enable a group of Horowhenua-based artists to exhibit collectively. A number of Dr Whiting's works also support the exhibition.
A springboard from Dr Whiting's paper that contended 'our links through whakapapa form a spiritual reality that resides within us, and in turn, can be seen through the actions we take as we move through life', Whiting says, "The project came to fruition in 2021 where it was decided each artist would explore new ideas to celebrate their individual creative spirit".
"This spirit is associated with the Atua, for some, through Christianity and for others within a specific tūturu Māori context. Te Puna o te Atua embodies each artist's own origins and celebrates the pursuit of the source of the creative process."
Whiting says it has been a wonderful experience to share some of his father's work and writing with the Te Awahou Collective.
"The way the Collective took that as the springboard for their own work was a wonderful process to go through. Exhibiting alongside my father is also something very special, and then being able to share all this with our UCOL students and fellow staff was also very special. The project has allowed us as staff at UCOL to be active researchers within the community and industry."
Whiting says being able to exhibit at Te Manawa has been an exciting aspect of the project.
"The expert facilitation with Te Manawa provided a valuable window for many in the Collective into the professional world of a top art gallery."
Andrews says the extensive timeframe and collaborative nature of a diverse team were key to the project's success.
"Having a lengthy timeframe was new for me, and it was fantastic. I created seven designs before settling on the final one. I did lots of presentations to the group along the way. Getting feedback and having the time to consider it was really helpful. Best of all, having team members to consult and help build my project, as I did for others, showcased how valuable a collective can be."
He says the support and guidance Whiting provided throughout the creative process helped immensely in bringing the exhibition together.
"Every team needs a captain, and with infinite calm, Gary kept the team on track and on target even with the enormity of his other workloads."
Working with a professional gallery for the first time, Andrew says, "The added creativity and enthusiasm that came from the Te Manawa staff was stunning".
"Starting with a well laid out strategy and timeframe by Senior Audience Engagement Facilitator at Te Manawa, Roma Pōtiki, who also came up with the title for the show Te Puna o te Atua, through to amazing support from the exhibition team who arranged the design through to installation.
"They not only brought out the best of individual works but also orchestrated them as a whole show with precise placement, modification and lighting."
Following the lengthy journey of the project and finally seeing the show come together, Andrews says he feels honoured to be part of the process and to be exhibiting with Dr Cliff Whiting.
"Cliff Whiting was essentially the guidance and inspiration throughout, and to see the sketches became reality, the diversity of creativity and techniques revealed, and the show opening such a success was quite fantastic. The team was united as one!"
Te Puna o te Atua runs until 9 November 2025.
Members of the public also have a unique opportunity to meet and kōrero with the artists on 14 June from 11am – 1pm while wandering around the multi-media exhibition.