Rebecca Boyce
Ngāti Pūkenga | Ngāi Te Rangi | Te Rarawa
Rebecca Boyce is a Tauranga Moana based artist whose practice explores the interconnected relationships between whakapapa, mātauranga Māori, taiao, and cultural identity. Working primarily in ceramics and mixed media, she creates works inspired by the natural world and the stories that connect people to place.
Native flora and fauna, waterways, wetlands, celestial bodies, and traditional Māori visual language frequently appear throughout her work, often reinterpreted through a contemporary lens. Recent projects have explored the significance of the Matariki whetū and the life cycle of the longfin eel (tuna), reflecting an ongoing interest in the relationship between people, the environment, and mātauranga Māori.
Through her work, Rebecca seeks to create opportunities for reflection, encouraging viewers to engage with stories of whakapapa, taiao, and the enduring relevance of mātauranga Māori in contemporary life.
Featured in IWA 2026
Pieces currently being created for IWA: A Matariki Exhibition.
Kua Wātea (Matariki)
Wawata (Hiwa i te Rangi)
Puritia (Pōhutukawa)
Wai Rangimarie (Waitī)
Te Oneone (Tupuānuku)
Kōpatapata (Waipungarangi)
Ngarupaewhenua (Waitā)
Ngahoro Pua (Tupuārangi)
Tū te Wanawana (Ururangi)
Artistic Practice
- Uku (ceramics)
- Painting
- Fibre Arts
- Mixed Media
Current Projects
- Tuna (Longfin Eel) Series
- Uku Matariki Series
- Exploration Handmade Fibre Paper
- Environmental and Cultural Narratives
- Bachelor of Māori Art | Visual Arts
Exhibitions
- 2026 – IWA: A Matariki Exhibition
- 2025 – Waiora: Rauangi Exhibition, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
- 2025 – Te Kura o Ngā Haututū Toi
- 2023 – Uku Exhibition, The Pot House
- 2021 – My Mothers House & Garden (merit award)
- 2018 – Bay Clay
A selection of ceramics works from my creative practice.
Te Hekenga
Merit Award Recipient, My Mother’s House & Garden Exhibition 2021
This work explores the journey of the longfin eel (tuna) through the waterways of Aotearoa. Carved flowing lines evoke rivers, currents, and movement, while the eel itself emerges from the landscape rather than sitting apart from it.
The piece reflects an enduring interest in the relationship between freshwater environments and the species that depend upon them. Through carving and layered glaze application, the work combines contemporary ceramic practice with themes drawn from te taiao and mātauranga Māori.
Awarded a Merit Award at the 2021 My Mother’s House & Garden Exhibition, Te Hekenga represents an early milestone in the development of a body of work that continues to explore tuna, wai, and the interconnected relationships between people and the natural world.
Te Waiora Collection
This collection explores the relationship between water, movement, and transformation. Through layered glazes and textured surfaces, the pieces evoke the shifting patterns of rivers, estuaries, and coastal environments.
The flowing blue and white glaze combinations are inspired by the waterways of Tauranga Moana and the interconnected nature of te taiao. Each firing produces unique variations, reflecting the ever-changing character of water itself.
Created as functional vessels, these works sit at the intersection of everyday use and artistic expression, inviting reflection on the importance of wai as a source of life and wellbeing.
