e rua e rua - ISAIAH RAMEKA

MD Gallery is very proud to represent emerging artist Isaiah Rameka of Ngapuhi iwi, Ngati Wai and Ngati Hine hapu descent, with his second solo show e rua e rua. As he has in past works, Rameka continues to express his concerns with the representation and portrayal of his own culture, particularly Māori youth, across Aotearoa. Concerns relating to discrimination, racial profiling and stereo-typing are issues that strongly underpin his art practice. In his chosen medium of oil paint, he continues his exploration into ideologies around marginalization and how his culture is perceived, represented and understood. It is through his art practice that Rameka aims to question and depict a more balanced life view.

The seven works on show in e rua e rua continue to explore these important narratives. Rameka has portrayed a timelessness in these works linking the past with the present, as imagery of ancestors merge with contemporary youth, namely the artist himself and whanau members. Within the context of this exhibition, the title e rua e rua conveys the idea that although we may be different, we are still the same. It suggests that two people have something in common, or are two of a kind. Ancestral figures on the shoulders of hooded Māori youth strongly depict this. For Rameka, the hooded figure is a representation of the way people may view Māori. This view may or may not be true and correct; Rameka’s empathy firmly remains with the reality that ‘the view’ doesn’t tell the stories of the people under the hoodie, which is what really matters.