About

Te Oro’s Artist in Residence programme returned in late 2024 after a long hiatus. In 2025 the cohort features ten resident artists and collectives selected through a public expression of interest.

The programme supports two streams, visual and performing arts, and offers dedicated studio access across a four-month allocated period, residency stipend, networking, mentoring, paid workshops and wraparound support for end of residency showings and exhibitions.

Past resident creatives include Pacific Dance Company, Benjamin Work, and Gary Silipa. Renowned Glen Innes artist Emily Karaka has also used Te Oro as a creative home across projects.

Artist Residents:
Jim To’o Stretton November 2024 - March 2025
Maria Mapa April - July 2026
Celine Miller (Painters Club) August – November 2026
John Tanuvasa (Ohn Clothing) October 2025 – January 2026 (based at TPK studio)
Tui Hirabayashi December 2025 – March 2026

Performance Residents:
Villa Lemanu November 2024 - March 2025
Projekt Team May – August 2026
Ken Vaega August 2025 – November 2026
Prowl Productions October 2025 – January 2026
Tupua Tigafua December 2025 – March 2026

John Tanuvasa

John Tanuvasa is born and raised in Panmure, he is of Tongan and Samoan descent and graduated from AUT majoring in Textiles. In his final year, John looked at unconventional design methods which looked at light and light source.
After university John worked in the Fashion industry for 5 years as a Fashion stylist assistant for Nora Swann. He took on this role to understand the industry from a different perspective. John confirms: “I am not an artist, I am not a Designer, I am a creator. I create with the idea of making you think and question what's in front of you.”

Painters Club

My name is Celene Miller and I run The Painters Club.

I love nature, family, music, art, and all things creative. I have practiced painting throughout all my school years and know the joys and stresses that come with being an artist.

The goal behind The Painters Club is to give aspiring young artists a space to learn new skills, get creative and hang out with others who enjoy art.

Jim To’o Stretton

Jim To'o Filiva'a Stretton is 30 years old, proudly of Samoan and European descent, and the owner of JS Carvings Ltd. He has been carving for nearly 20 years, but what he is most proud of is his beautiful family—his incredible wife, Naomi, and their two young children, aged three and two.

What he loves most about his carving ventures is the opportunity to reconnect with his Pacific culture and create spaces for others to do the same. Carving is an increasingly rare Indigenous art form, and part of his vision is to revive and celebrate this knowledge, inspiring others to see the importance of embracing their own cultural practices for their overall well-being.

Beyond creating hand-carved pieces, Jim also runs carving workshops, craft unique photo frames and canvases, and shares his work worldwide. But this is just the beginning. His dream is to inspire the next generation of Pacific creatives—showing them that pursuing art and culture can be a successful and fulfilling path.

Jim is deeply grateful for the support of his family and community, and excited to see where this journey takes him next.

Marie Hemo Titi Mapa

Marie Hemo Titi Mapa (Ngāti Te Rino, Ngāti Hine; Hihifo, Niuatoputapu; Taunga, Vava’u) is a Māori–Pasifika artist based in Ōtara. Working across painting, installation, and community engagement, her practice explores identity, memory, and power from an urban Indigenous perspective. A 2024 BFA graduate of Whitecliffe College of Art & Design, she recently debuted her solo exhibition reclaim at The Good The Bad Gallery and Tātou in Glen Innes. Rooted in wānanga and the act of luva, her work creates space for collective storytelling, Indigenous knowledge, and cultural resilience.

Tui Hirabayashi

I am an artist of Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Japanese and Pākehā descent. I work part time at The Good The Bad Gallery in G.I. as an Arts assistant, coordinating exhibitions and community workshops. I’m experimenting in the field of expanded painting: blurring the lines between painting, sculpture and installation, and combining materials and objects that aren't traditionally associated with painting.

In 2023, I co-founded the artist duo 2PARU. Our kaupapa centers on the history of Aotearoa, its colonial structures, gentrification, Māori pūrākau(stories) and cultural values. Much of my recent work references whakairo(carving) and I have been developing my own style of toi Māori.I’m interested in figurative painting, particularly representations of the female body, where societal pressures set unrealistic beauty standards for women. For my Whitecliffe graduation show, I created paintings that respond to the portrayal of women throughout history, art, film, literature, music, media, and social media.