Saffronn Te Ratana's current exhibition at Page Galleries, Ngāhere, continues her exploration of the relationships between the celestial and terrestrial realms. As the title suggests, Ngāhere speaks to the interconnectedness of the natural world. While ngāhere refers to the forest realm, the term can also be understood through its component parts: ngā, meaning "the" (plural), and here, meaning "to bind" or "bonds". Together, these meanings acknowledge the complex relationships that connect all living things within a balanced ecosystem.
Ngāhere is also the domain of Tāne Mahuta and Tāne Whakapiripiri, significant atua within both Ngāi Tūhoe traditions and wider Māori oral histories. Tāne is associated with many foundational acts, including the separation of the primordial parents Ranginui and Papatūānuku, the embedding of knowledge within the earth, and the creation of Hineahuone at Kura Waka. Tāne is also credited with placing the stars within the celestial realm before the kete overturned, scattering the smaller stars across the sky to form Te Ikaroa, the Milky Way.
Throughout this new body of work, Te Ratana foregrounds knowledge embedded within the natural world. Drawing upon the visual traditions of Tūhoe and informed by both oral histories and written research, she creates a discourse around tribal narratives, environmental relationships, and systems of knowledge. The works propose a worldview in which whenua, trees, stars, birds, ancestors, and people exist within a living interdependent network.
The visual foundations underpinning Ngāhere can be traced back to a series of significant exhibitions, including New Works (2006) and Ngā Hanga Whakaaro (2007) at Thermostat Gallery with curator Catherine Russ, and Pepeha at The Suter Art Gallery, Nelson (2009) with curator Anna Marie-White. Through this body of work, Te Ratana began deconstructing conventional approaches to painting and repositioning her practice in relation to Papatūānuku. She investigated the origins of painting within Māori cosmology, considering the sources of pigments such as kōkōwai and the interconnected relationships between environment, material, process, implements, and visual culture. This inquiry marked a shift away from painting within the two-dimensional picture plane towards painting through sculptural and spatial forms, reimagining the conventions of painting while remaining grounded in Māori narrative and the painted histories of Tūhoe.
Through Ngāhere, Te Ratana continues her enduring enquiry into celestial knowledge systems, demonstrating how ancestral narratives remain vital frameworks for understanding the contemporary world. Her work reveals the continuing relevance of ancestral wisdom, connecting people, whenua, the cosmos, and creative practice through a distinct Tūhoe lens.
