Meet the ARTISTS
The first release of the artist line-up for Perpetual Guardian Sculpture on the Gulf 2027 is:
Margaret Aull
Margaret Aull (b. 1978, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Fiji) is a Māori–Fijian artist and curator whose practice bridges painting, sculpture, and installation to explore whakapapa, tapu/tabu, and cultural knowledge systems. Based in Te Awamutu, Aull has exhibited widely across Aotearoa, Fiji, Australia, the United States, and Morocco, where she presented at the Casablanca Biennale in 2018.
Her work is both deeply personal and politically resonant, weaving Māori and Pacific perspectives to interrogate identity, ritual, and the role of art in cultural wellbeing. Recent projects include Toi is Rongoā (Waikato Museum, 2022); her ongoing work as a member of The Veiqia Project was recognised with the Pacific Heritage Art Award by Creative New Zealand in 2025.
She has been instrumental in establishing kaupapa that strengthen Indigenous arts and cultural practice, including Āhua Gallery for New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute and project manager for Haumanu Collective. Beyond the studio, Aull is a respected arts advocate, serving on advisory groups for Toi Māori Aotearoa, Creative New Zealand, Toi Ngā Puhi, and Toi Tūwharetoa.