NEKE MOA
b. 1971, New ZealandNeke Moa is a Māori adornment and object artist whose practice spans jewellery, sculpture, and installation, working with pounamu, shell, stone, fibre, and other materials gathered from te taiao. Born in 1971 in Tāmaki Makaurau and based in Ōtaki Beach, she is best known for spiritually and politically charged works that explore hauora, whakapapa, and belonging through forms that can be worn, handled, or encountered as sculptural constellations.
Moa’s work has appeared in major projects such as HANDSHAKE, Wunderrūma, Schmuck in Munich, and the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, alongside solo exhibitions including Nō Te Moananui-a-Kiwa (2019), Māreikura – in conversation (2020), Rākau whakarawe – Weapons for the everyday (2021), and Ngā tirohanga whānui a Parehuia at Objectspace (2024).
Practice and Themes
Moa combines customary techniques like hōanga stone grinding with contemporary tools to create adornment that moves fluidly between body, gallery, and ritual space. Pounamu, shell, bone, seeds, and rākau are shaped into pendants, necklaces, and objects whose incised lines, polished surfaces, and flashes of red evoke bloodlines, heat, and connection to whenua. Her installations often assemble these works with drawings, gathered materials, and working tables, foregrounding process and positioning her practice as a living conversation with ancestors, environment, and future wearers.
Exhibitions and Recognition
Alongside the group platforms that first brought her to wider attention, Moa’s solo exhibitions at The Dowse Art Museum, Masterworks Gallery, The Suter Art Gallery, and Objectspace trace an evolving interest in everyday “weapons”, māreikura, and Moana kinship. In 2023 she undertook a residency at McCahon House and won the Herbert Hofmann Prize at Munich Jewellery Week, while her work entered or remained in major public collections including Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, The Dowse, and Te Papa.
Neke Moa FAQs
What is Neke Moa best known for?
Neke Moa is best known for contemporary adornment works in pounamu and other natural materials that connect jewellery, sculpture, and Māori knowledge systems.
What themes does Neke Moa explore?
Neke Moa’s work explores hauora, whakapapa, belonging, and the relationship between body, environment, and spiritual knowledge.
Where has Neke Moa exhibited?
Neke Moa has shown in HANDSHAKE, Wunderrūma, Schmuck in Munich, the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, and solo exhibitions at The Dowse, Masterworks Gallery, The Suter, and Objectspace.
What recognition has Neke Moa received?
In 2023, Neke Moa she won the Herbert Hofmann Prize at Munich Jewellery Week and completed a McCahon House residency.
Which collections hold Neke Moa’s work?
Neke Moa’s work is held in collections including Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, The Dowse Art Museum, and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.collections.
Ocula | 2026
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