Emily Karaka: Ka Awatea, A New Dawn

Overview

Ka Awatea, A New Dawn is a survey of the work and practice of artist Emily Karaka. Karaka is a largely self-taught painter, an abstract expressionist, a colourist and an occasional assemblage artist. Her work is personal, passionate and anchored in the politics of the culture clash within Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as the legacy of colonialism and its ongoing impact on Māori people and culture. Ka Awatea, A New Dawn, the first major exhibition of the artist’s oeuvre, brings together a selection sampled from her 47-year career alongside new work commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation.

The exhibition is curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, and Megan Tamati-Quennell, co-curator of Sharjah Biennial 16, with Amal Alkhaja, Assistant Curator, Sharjah Art Foundation.