New Zealand post issued postage stamps on 3rd June 2015 to coincide with the dawn of Maori New Year, the Matariki 2015 stamp issue celebrates the ancient art form ” Kowhaiwhai” in a contemporary setting.Typically featured in the whare whakairo (decorated meeting house) on the heke (rafters), k?whaiwhai is an art form that is distinctively M?ori, and unique to Aotearoa New Zealand.
The stamp issue celebrates k?whaiwhai through the artworks of six established Maori artists – from the digital, wide-reaching work of Johnson Witehira to the accomplished work of Sandy Adsett, who has long been regarded as the artist most closely associated with modern k?whaiwhai painting.Denominations: 80c (x2), $1.40, $2.00, $2.50 and $3.00
