Te Whare o Rei / Rei Gallery is Māori LED

Located in Ōhinehou / Lyttelton, in Te Pātaka o Rākaihāutū / Banks Peninsula, and established in Raumati / Summer of 2023 by members of the Whakaraupō Carving Centre Trust. Te Whare o Rei was created to provide a space for both Māori and non-Māori creatives to present their creative mahi and kōrero to our communities. Rei, a feminine energy that informs Māori creative practice, is an energy that extends from our Māori Wāhine and Tāne Atua / Male and Female Māori Gods. Rei informs our tikanga / protocols, ensuring that we uphold the mana of Kaupapa Māori Toi and our communities. Te Whare o Rei provides a culturally appropriate space for the Rei Collective who are made up of both Māori and non-Māori creatives, all from a diverse range of creative practices and mediums.As kaitiaki, members of the Rei Collective are able to express their own cultural uniqueness through creative practice.

Rei promotes Māori and non-Maori creative practice. As a community gallery and exhibition space, we present works from emerging, mid-career, and established artists. Our aim is to unify and uphold the mana of Mana Whenua, Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Our mahi aims to broaden the understandings of our shared histories, to be grounded in our traditions and elevated by our innovations. As an extension of Whakaraupō Carving Centre, Te Whare o Rei is a space for students from schools and members of the community who participate in the programmes delivered at the Whakaraupō Carving Centre.