He Uku Maioro Exhibition by Que Bidois - Matariki 2022

He Uku Maioro - this is reference to the clay fortifications work that were created here in Tauranga Moana. It is a look at our people creating these beautiful maioro out of simple hand tools to defend themselves against foreign invaders to protect their taonga (whenua). The maioro were constructed out of uku (clay) to create the famous pa sites such as Pukehinahina and Te Ranga. Not only does the maioro look at how we defended our people but is a tohu maumamahara of our children, women and chiefs that were slaughtered within the maioro when working with clay to create the fortified walls at Te Ranga.
Utua te kino i te pai - repay the things of bad with compassion.

Que Bidois is of Māori descent with ancestral tribal links to Ngai-Te Rangi, Ngāti Tapu and Ngati- Ranginui. Pirirakau. He was born and raised in Tauranga Moana, more specifically Arataki, Mt Maunganui. Educated at St Stephens Māori boarding school in the Bombay Hills, Que is currently the marae chair for Waikari marae, Ngāti Tapu. He works full time as a lecturer on the Bachelor of Creative Industries at Toi Ohomai in Tauranga. Que has a master’s degree in creative professional practice and a Bachelor of Teaching from Waikato University.

On display in The Pot House Gallery, 3rd June - 10th July.

Gallery open:
10am-3pm Weekdays
10am-2pm Saturdays

Part of The Incubator Creative Hub 2022 Matariki Programme.