The Kukupa Collective

28/08/2026

Looking back, I think this was one of those moments where I was beginning to understand what making art meant to me.

Taking ordinary materials, memories and people’s stories and finding a way to bring them together.

I didn’t really think about it at the time, but looking back now, I can see so much of what I still care about in my work was already there

20/08/2026

𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆

26/07/2026

Congratulations to our Matariki Art Competition winners! ✨

What an incredible response we received this year. Every entry told a unique Matariki story, and we were so impressed by the creativity and imagination shown by all of our tamariki and rangatahi.

A huge congratulations to Kristof, our Tamariki Winner, who has won an amazing art bundle kindly donated by Queenstown Art Supplies. We hope it inspires many more creative adventures ahead!

Congratulations also to Hannah, our Rangatahi Winner. We can't wait to see your beautiful artwork brought to life as an embroidery by Tikki Studios. It's going to be something truly special.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who entered, and to all the whānau who encouraged and supported these young artists. We loved seeing Matariki through your eyes and can't wait to do it all again next year.

Ngā mihi nui from all of us at The Kukupa Collective

23/07/2026

TŪTAKINA MAI TE KAIHAUTŪ

Our kaupapa are brought to life by the people who carry the knowledge, creativity and stories within them.

Meet Renata Cross, a Tagata Tātatau from Liku, Niue.

Through her mahi, Renata shares the stories, symbols and cultural connections of Niue, creating space for kōrero, identity and expression through the art of tātatau.

Nau mai, haere mai Renata. 🤎

📅 Saturday 25 July
⏰ 10am - 1pm
📍 Tātai Manawa, Country Lane
✉️ Register by email: [email protected]

Event info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1313800927401546/1313800934068212

21/07/2026

Come along this weekend and explore the evolution of Niuean art through contemporary tattoo with Renata Cross as she hosts a kōrero at Tātai Manawa, sharing her knowledge, stories and creative practice.

She’ll also be based at The Kukupa Collective over the next couple of weeks, with tattoo bookings available for those wanting to collaborate with Renata on a piece of their own.

18/07/2026

There is always a story behind every artist.

For Christine, art has become a place where a lifetime of experiences can find a voice.

The Kukupa Collective has grown from that same place — something deeply personal to us as a whānau and a space where people from all walks of life can feel welcome, where different cultures and stories are celebrated and creativity is shared in all its forms.

In this kōrero with Cory from The Chew Queenstown, Christine shares a little of the journey that has brought her here and the heart behind what we are creating.

This week Arrowtown Dad sits down with Christine Hayes — oil painte...

17/07/2026

A beautiful few days spent together at our Kahu Pēpi workshop with Evon Moir 🤍

Thank you to everyone who came along, shared the space and took part in this special workshop. It was wonderful to see everyone learning, weaving and creating together.

A big mihi to Evon for sharing her knowledge, skills and aroha with us all. We’re so grateful to everyone who helped make this such a beautiful experience