Ayesha Green: To the best of my Knowledge

Ayesha Green, To the best of my Knowledge
Monday 23 August - Friday 26 November

In this programme, students will explore Ayesha Green’s exhibition, To the best of my Knowledge. To the best of my Knowledge looks at the visual language and history of native schooling in New Zealand, with a focus on Hukarere Girls' College, founded in 1875.

We will learn about what education looked like for Māori women in a time of colonisation and how native schools functioned in Aotearoa. We will consider the challenges faced by these women, but also examine how many came out of these school systems as leaders in advocating for, and creating, positive change for Māori.

We will look at how Ayesha uses portraiture as a way to celebrate the sitter and give power and agency to her subjects. We will compare these to famous pieces throughout art history, and then in the classroom, create cartoon-inspired self-portraits using Ayesha Green as our artist model.

If you would like to make an inquiry or booking for this programme, please contact Kelsey on 027 332 5496, or via email.

Primary, Intermediate and Secondary
Years 4 - 13

Cost: FREE
Duration: 90 minutes

Key Themes: New Zealand History, Māori/Māoritanga, Colonisation, Colonial New Zealand, Wāhine, New Zealand Native School System, Activism, Art History, Portraiture 
Subject Areas: Visual Arts, History, Social Sciences, Māori, English, Art History, Learning Languages
Key Competencies: Thinking, Using Language, Symbols and Texts, Managing Self, Relating to Others, Participating and Contributing