Established in 2019, Kauae Raro Research Collective are a group of kairangahau and ringatoi Māori dedicated to Māori art sovereignty through the paint making technologies of our tūpuna.

From our Ngāti Awa homelands in Whakatāne, we share the diverse ways whenua can be incorporated into our cultural practice; as an art material, a component of ceremony, for personal adornment and as rongoā. We publish elements of our research journey here at kauaeraro.com and over on Instagram @kauae_raro

Over the last three years, we have presented at international earth pigment symposia, produced personalised whenua-based colour palettes for our iwi, commissioned dozens of Māori artists to create work with whenua, met thousands of tangata whenua in face-to-face wānanga and continue to reach tens of thousands online through our weekly educational content.