Nikau Gabrielle Hindin is the 2020 recipient of the $10,000 Dame Doreen’s Gift

The Gift is presented by the Blumhardt Foundation to an outstanding establishing maker whose achievements have garnered the admiration and respect of peers, sector leaders and institutions.

“Nikau is an outstanding maker whose practice, research and revival of aute, Maori bark cloth, is of great importance for New Zealand. She’s a star, just as many of her works relate to the constellations as a fundamental source of traditional knowledge. Significantly Nikau was commissioned to create a work for the cover of the 2019 landmark publication Crafting Aotearoa, of which she is also a contributing author” says Foundation Chair Philip Clarke.

“The Foundation was established by Dame Doreen Blumhardt, a notable maker, arts educator and advocate. These attributes are all visible in Nikau’s practice. “

“Since planning to make this announcement at the Dowse Art Museum on 3 April all our lives have taken a sharp, unexpected turn. We’re still on track just doing things a bit differently. At a time when we’re all thinking about what is important, trustees were agreed that Nikau’s pioneering work was very important.”

The Foundation is very grateful for the assistance of a number of external advisors.

Nikau Gabrielle Hindin, Te Rarawa & Ngapuhi, is Gisborne based and was the inaugural recipient of the Sir Hugh Kawharu Scholarship at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira, 2015.