Arts
There are risks in taking a portrait at face value. Matariki Williams and Rebecca Rice are the curators who selected the 36 historic portraits of Maori and settlers that have hung on Te Papa's distinctive blood red wall at Toi Art since 2018. The two have written about the stories behind the 36 portraits in a bilingual book called Nga Tai Whakarongorua - Encounters. The book discusses the relationship between the artists and their sitters. Who decided what would be worn and the final pose, and did they discuss the portrait's background? Lynn Freeman asks Rebecca and Matariki what stories did they think were shared during the long hours of painting? Nga Tai Whakarongorua - Encounters by Rebecca Rice and Matariki Williams is published by Te Papa Press.