Mahuika, from the "Digital Marae" series
Image courtesy of ARTPROJECTS
Object Label
For many Polynesian societies, a marae (also called malae, mala ‘e, or me ‘ae) is a sacred communal space serving both social and religious purposes. Lisa Reihana, a Māori artist of Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāi Tū descent based in Auckland, New Zealand, uses photography, sound, and video to create a “digital marae” populated with ancestral figures. The deity depicted in this work is Mahuika, the goddess from whom the hero Māui obtained the secret of making fire. Typically the domain of male carvers and artists, Reihana’s conception of this deity establishes intergenerational and cross-cultural connections between contemporary portraiture and traditional Māori folklore.
Caption
Lisa Reihana New Zealander, born 1964. Mahuika, from the "Digital Marae" series, 2001. Digital photograph, 79 × 46 in. (200.7 × 116.8 cm) frame: 80 × 48 1/4 × 2 1/2 in. (203.2 × 122.6 × 6.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the artist, 2007.27. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Image courtesy of ARTPROJECTS, 2007.27_MAHUIKA_Digital Marae_Lisa_Reihana.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Artist
Title
Mahuika, from the "Digital Marae" series
Date
2001
Medium
Digital photograph
Classification
Dimensions
79 × 46 in. (200.7 × 116.8 cm) frame: 80 × 48 1/4 × 2 1/2 in. (203.2 × 122.6 × 6.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Accession Number
2007.27
Rights
© artist or artist's estate
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Frequent Art Questions
What is this?
This photograph is the first in a series created by Lisa Reihana that depicts modernized interpretations of Maori deities. The deity here, Mahuika, is portrayed by Reihana's aunt.Mahuika is a fire goddess who is said to sit on a stool in the underworld. Reihana has replaced her stool with a chair designed by Marcel Breuer which she feels is ubiquitous especially in the art world. The red nail polish represents the fire that Mahuika keeps in her fingernails.
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