Tia Ranginui
Tia Huia Ranginui is a photographer and artist from Whanganui, New Zealand. She grew up along the Whanganui River at Koriniti and is Māori, affiliated with the Ngāti Hine Oneone hapū of Whanganui iwi. A self‑taught artist, she also works as a gallery assistant in Whanganui. Her photography explores Māori representation and stories from Whanganui.
Her works are held in public collections, including the Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua in Whanganui, plus Waikato Museum, The Dowse Art Museum, City Gallery Wellington, St Peter’s School Cambridge, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, and the Arts House Trust. Critics describe her work as ranging from political to poetic and sometimes magical realist. Milly Mitchell-Anyon noted that her photographs are steeped in history while addressing contemporary concerns.
In 2021 she collaborated with writer Arihia Latham, who wrote a poetic essay in response to Ranginui’s work for Photo Forum Online. Latham is of Kai Tahu and works as a Māori health practitioner of rongoā.
Ranginui’s first solo exhibition was in 2015, Tāwauwau (Away), which features patupaiarehe—mythical red‑haired, fair-skinned beings—placed in contemporary Whanganui suburbs.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 11:41 (CET).