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Matariki Art Celebration Worksheet

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Matariki Art Celebration Worksheet

Explore how artists can use colour, pattern, materials and personal stories to create thoughtful Matariki-inspired art. Respect Māori knowledge and avoid treating cultural designs as decoration. Answer each question, then develop your own artwork concept.

Look closely and think like an artist

Read the short studio brief, then use the visual details to answer the questions.

1.A community art group is planning a Matariki display about remembering loved ones, celebrating the present and looking ahead. Which idea best connects all three themes?

A dark sky with three connected areas: stars for remembrance, a shared gathering in the present, and dawn for hopes ahead
A page of unrelated patterns with no explanation
A copy of a famous artwork, without changes
A bright border chosen only because it is colourful

2.The image uses a dark sky and small bright stars. Explain one way this contrast helps the artwork communicate its subject.

3.Choose two colours for a Matariki artwork and explain what each colour could communicate. Your meanings should be your own artistic choices, not claimed as universal Māori meanings.

4.A student wants to include a koru because it can suggest growth and new life. What should the student do before using a culturally significant motif in a public artwork?

Learn about its meaning and context, and seek guidance or permission where appropriate
Use it anywhere because all patterns mean the same thing
Change its colours and assume that makes it unrelated to Māori culture
Add as many motifs as possible to make the artwork look more authentic

5.Name two safe, practical materials for a collaborative Matariki collage. For each, say how it could contribute a different texture or effect.

6.A mural has a large moon near the centre and seven small stars scattered evenly at the edges. Suggest one composition change that would make viewers notice the star cluster more clearly. Explain why.

Plan your own artwork

Use the drawing space to develop a considered design. Think about audience, composition, material choices and the story you want to tell.

7.Sketch a Matariki-inspired artwork concept. Include a focal point, a background, and at least one visual detail that shows remembrance, connection or hope. Label your materials and explain your main artistic choice.

Use this space for your labelled design. Add notes around the sketch if needed.

8.Write a short artist statement (3–4 sentences) for your concept. Describe its idea, one choice about colour or composition, and how you would make it respectfully connected to Matariki.

9.A group has one 50-minute art session to begin a mural. Put these stages in a sensible order and estimate how many minutes to spend on each: agree on the idea; make a small plan; prepare the surface and materials; begin painting.

10.Before sharing a collaborative artwork with the community, what is one useful question the group should ask themselves about whose stories are represented and how those stories are being treated?