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Commissioned by the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū Foundation, Aratohu is an extraordinary new film from Lisa Reihana (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāi Tūteauru,Ngāi Tūpoto). It is a timeless moral tale that explores destructive influences and the potential for healing. For lead character Wairangi, a fun night out turns into a journey of self-discovery as the lines between reality and hallucination blur and overlap. Aratohu is a taniwha who offers Wairangi an alternative pathway, underpinned by renewed strength in her Māori identity.
Made in response to the worldwide opioid epidemic that is increasingly impacting communities in Aotearoa, Aratohu is a timeless moral tale that showcases Reihana’s expert interweaving of puppetry, animation, costuming and compelling storytelling. It is cinematic in scale and production, and a spectacular new addition to the Gallery’s collection.
Aratohu adds to a whakapapa of works by Reihana that whakamana atua and pūrākau Māori. It is one of three works by the artist included in Whāia te Taniwha, alongside A Māori Dragon Story (1995) and Marakihau (2001), all exploring the kaupapa of taniwha in different ways.
Lisa Reihana Aratohu (still) 2025. UHD 2-channel video, sound, colour. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, commissioned by Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu Foundation, 2025
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Born in 1964, Lisa Reihana is of Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine and Ngāi Tu descent tribally connected to the Far North of New Zealand through her father Huri Waka Reihana. She graduated from Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland University, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1987, and recently completed her Master of Design through the Unitec Institute of Technology.
Reihana has an extensive exhibition history in New Zealand and abroad and in 2014 she was awarded an Arts Laureate Award by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand. Her works are held in private and public collections including Te Papa Tongarewa; Auckland Art Gallery; Australia National Gallery; Staatliche Museum, Berlin; Susan O'Connor Foundation, Texas and Brooklyn Museum, New York.
Lisa Reihana - By New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General
COLLABORATIONS
In support of the Foundation’s goals, we regularly work in collaboration with artists to commission limited edition artworks and make them accessible to the public.
INVEST IN A LIMITED EDITION ORIGINAL
All proceeds directly benefit Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū Foundation.
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Lisa Reihana Still Images
Commissioned by the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū Foundation, Aratohu is an extraordinary new film from Lisa Reihana (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāi Tūteauru, Ngāi Tūpoto). It is a timeless moral tale that explores destructive influences and the potential for healing. For lead character Wairangi, a fun night out turns into a journey of self-discovery as the lines between reality and hallucination blur. Aratohu is a taniwha who offers Wairangi an alternative pathway underpinned by renewed strength in her Māori identity.
The framed stills reproduced here draw you into the narrative, capturing the surreal, time-bending feel of the film. An exclusive offer, available for a very limited time.
$11,200 for an individual image / $20,000 for a diptych.
XX: The boxed set (sold out)
Don’t miss the chance to own one of five beautifully presented, limited-edition boxed sets of nine prints by nine great artists, each of whom have played a role in helping build the legacy of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū over the past two decades: Graham Bennett, Tony de Lautour, Cheryl Lucas, Julia Morison, Séraphine Pick, Zina Swanson, Philip Trusttum, Francis Upritchard and Wayne Youle.
Each artwork has been meticulously printed on a Risograph printer by Aaron Beehre at the Ilam School of Fine Arts, numbered by hand to an edition of six and presented in a custom-made, engraved wooden box.
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