‘Aotearoa Liberators’ poster exhibition open

A poster exhibition including the work of three local artists – Xavier Meade, Jenny Rhodes and the late Katerina Mataira opened on Saturday 1st June at the museum. Kaumatua Sean Ellison and Paddy Kaa blessed the exhibition before it was opened by Museum President Patrick Day. The exhibition’s creator Xavier Meade said how pleased he was to have the exhibition on display in such a perfect setting within the presence of Mount Karioi.

Xavier, a Wintec eco-design and visual arts lecturer, created the exhibition in 2007. Called ‘Aotearoa Liberators’, the 12 posters by separate artists display some of New Zealand’s leading identities from the end of last century. Each of the posters has an accompanying story to tell. Other artists to contribute works were Josh Watene, Dion Hitchens, James Orsmby, Tessa Laird, Simon Cuming, Leafa Wilson, Warren Olds and Nicola Farquhar. A number of the artist were present at the opening including Jenny Rhodes, whose poster depicts Eva Rickard and tells of the late Maori activist’s fight to have the old Raglan Golf Course land returned to her people.

It has only been shown once in Raglan before, at the Kokiri Centre. The collection has been displayed in many places around the world including Cuba where the posters were screen printed, Mexico from where Xavier was born and also at Spain’s Museum of Illustration in Valencia. In New Zealand the posters have been shown in Christchurch, Waikato Museum, Waiheke and also at Taranaki’s Parihaka International Peace Festival.

After the Raglan Museum exhibition ends the posters will be heading to and exhibition in Edinburgh although their permanent base will now be the Raglan Museum.

The exhibition is open daily until the end of June.