Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou - With your basket and my basket.

Contemporary Indigenous printmaking by Marwin Begaye, Alexis Neal & Vanessa Edwards

Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou - With your basket and my basket, an exhibition of contemporary Indigenous printmaking by Marwin Begaye, Alexis Neal, and Vanessa Edwards is on display at ALL from February 17 to April 2, 2022. This exhibition is part of SGCI Madison: Our Shared Future, an international printmaking conference hosted by the UW-Madison Printmaking Department March 16-19, 2022. An artist reception and performance will be held Friday, March 18, 2022 from 6-9pm.

Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday 12-5pm (free). The galleries will be closed on Tuesday, March 28 and Friday, April 1. Please check our current COVID-19 safety guidelines before your visit.

Artist Statement

Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou ka ora ai te iwi - with your basket and my basket the people will thrive.

Shi Ts’aa doo ni Ts’aa, nahii Ts’aa baa nantsiikiis kinaa he T’ii doo

The title comes from a Maori whakatauki (proverb) that speaks to sharing of resources and knowledge to ensure the wellbeing of all people involved.

This is what we do culturally, iwi to iwi and clan to clan.

As Indigenous printmakers who have developed our practices over 20 years we approach the making process with our cultural lense intact, developing our narrative through our art.

We share our knowledge and energy, we host and take care of each other. We support one another so that the practice of print will not only be sustained, but prosper wherever we are in the world. This is a collective approach, highlighting the idea that we are a part of something greater than ourselves. Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou collectively showcases three Indigenous voices in one space and speaks to relationships between peoples, our environment and our culture over time.

The fourth voice featured is a representation from Toi Whakaata - a Maori print collective from Aotearoa (NZ), established in 2006. This collective was the indirect result of John Hitchcock and Melanie Yazzie’s influence and encouragement at the time and epitomizes the cyclic connection between us, and our art practices.

Vanessa Wairata Edwards

Vanessa Wairata Edwards is a Maori printmaker and graduate of Taupo Quay school of fine arts in 2002. Edwards has been making and exhibiting throughout New Zealand and beyond ever since. In 2005 she attended Te Mata - International Indigenous arts gathering New Zealand, where she met John Hitchcock and Melannie Yazzie. It was then that she was challenged to identify and unite Maori printmakers and as a result Toi Whakaata – Maori print collective was established in 2006. Edwards was also invited to the SGC International the following year in Madison Wisconsin, 2006, which she attended as a very green printmaker and is honoured to be returning 15 years later. Her works explore concepts around ongoing acts of self-determination and cultural sovereignty.

He Taonga Tonu te Wareware – Forgetfulness is to be reckoned with always, is her most recent work that challenges us to be critical of watered down renditions of history.

Alexis Neal

Alexis Neal graduated from Auckland University, Elam School of Fine Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Post Graduate Diploma in 1997 and completed a master’s degree in Fine Art Media at the University of London, Slade School of Fine Arts in 2000. Alongside her art practice Alexis has held tutoring positions in both academic and community institutions, working with the wider community.

As a practicing artist her work has predominantly looked at the duality of artefacts, exploring her mixed heritage, creating personal narratives that act as a portal to the past. Her studio practice is interdisciplinary, combining print, weaving in many forms and installation, addressing Tikanga Māori traditions within a contemporary context. The combination of these interests has made her push the print medium into three dimensions, weaving works and compiling multiple layers of colour and patterning, referencing the weaves of raranga whakairo/weaving patterns.... Read More

Marwin Begaye

An internationally exhibited artist, Marwin Begaye examines the issues of cultural identity through the intersection of American Indian and popular cultures. His ongoing research investigates the technical processes related to printmaking and construction of mixed-media art. He has received numerous awards as an Artist in Residence and through juried exhibitions, often negotiating the cultivation of his own skills and opening doors for his students. His work has been featured in numerous publications and he maintains an active exhibition schedule, featured in exhibitions in New Zealand, England, Argentina, Paraguay, Italy, Siberia and Estonia.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Arts + Literature Laboratory is located at 111 S. Livingston Street #100, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703.

Our galleries are open Tuesday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday noon to 5pm, and other programs take place throughout the week. Please check the events calendar and education section for details.

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