Levi Kereama (Ngāti Raukawa) is a painter born in Tāmaki Makaurau. Self-taught, he has built his practice independently over time. Levi now works as a research assistant in the Waitangi Tribunal space. Levi’s painting practice draws closely on both his professional work and his own personal stories. He moves between observational painting and imagined, abstract modes, exploring the contrasts and connections between different cultural contexts.
Levi writes: ‘This work depicts a kuia protecting a sleeping child. In Aotearoa, it was traditionally believed that waking someone abruptly could be dangerous, as in dreams of journeys the wairua may be off travelling. The work centres on an act of care and protection. The surrounding figures observe and learn, suggesting how tikanga, and ways of being, are passed down quietly through everyday gestures.’