AUT has had another successful year at the Best Awards – the Design Institute of New Zealand’s annual awards recognising excellence in graphic, spatial, product, interactive and motion design.
The Best Awards are the pinnacle of design in New Zealand, and this year AUT entries were successful in many categories. Entries from the School of Art and Design have won five Gold, six Silver and nine Bronze awards.
A collaborative entry led by Maree Sheehan from Te Ara Poutama won a Purple and a Gold award.
Judges said Ōtairongo is an absolutely stunning and breath taking piece of work, original in its thinking and striking in its execution, a truly contemporary take on culture. This project has depth and layers of thinking with an authentic connection to traditional storytelling and combine that with a fresh and beautifully crafted visual execution, Ōtairongo moves a visual language forward in leaps and bounds.
Ōtairongo is Maree’s debut solo exhibition and pushes the boundaries of contemporary Māori art.