ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ani Huia Ligaliga is a Māori artist (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rongomaiwahine) based in Hamilton, New Zealand. She is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on Toi Māori. A two-time finalist in the Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award (2021, 2023) and winner of the 2023 People’s Choice Award. Ani has also illustrated several children's books including bilingual Māori and Samoan children's books. Ani continues to develop and grow her knowledge and fine art practice.

" My practice explores the connection between Māori identity, whakapapa, and Whenua. I blend realism with traditional and contemporary Māori imagery and mediums to create works that honour both ancestral knowledge and present-day experience."