Robyn Kahukiwa: My Ancestors Are Always With Me

The first Australian exhibition dedicated to the Sydney-born Māori painter.

The extraordinary work of Sydney-born Robyn Kahukiwa (1938–2025, Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Konohi, Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare) comes to the MCA in her first major Australian exhibition, to be held only a short time after her passing.

Kahukiwa was one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s pre-eminent painters. Her vibrant works consider Māori life, culture and politics, with a particular focus on the status of Māori women. They also examine the ongoing impacts of colonisation for Māori.

Robyn Kahukiwa: My Ancestors Are Always With Me speaks to the experiences of Indigenous people globally and the struggle for identity and belonging in the face of land and language loss, migration and urbanisation.

Developed as a partnership between Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.