Hana Pera Aoake

Doctor of Philosophy candidate

Her PhD is an opportunity to work with new materials and challenge herself, says Hana Pera Aoake, whose studies are supported by an AUT Vice-Chancellor’s Doctoral Scholarship.

“My PhD research is concerned with two things. Firstly, understanding and thinking through what mauri is and whether it can be restored in environments that I live and work in, especially whenua like Matamata and Kawerau that have experienced industrial poisoning. I’m also interested in museum taonga held in collections overseas. What would a pataka want to say if it could speak to me? Is it already speaking and if so, how do I listen? So if we understand that taonga holds mauri, does that mean it holds legal personhood?

“My second concern is around hope and repair. What kind of world do I want my daughter to grow up in? I see the work I can produce as being able to gently speak alongside the stories of working-class Māori communities and the ways in which the need to put food on the table can complicate the need to protect the whenua. In terms of thinking about museums and galleries, I’m interested in thinking through how they’ve acted as a cornerstone of the colonial interest in classifying and studying us as Māori people. So how do we attempt to get back those tūpuna who languish in the cold museum stores far from home? I’d describe my project as expansive, and intended to poke and prod different but related kaupapa that feed back into this idea of restoration and repair. There’s a Ngāi Tahu whakataukī that has been guiding me through all of this: Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei – For us, and our children after us.”

Hana’s PhD research is being supervised by Associate Professor Monique Redmond and Dr Layne Waerea.

A place to thrive as an artist
Deciding to come to AUT for her PhD was easy, says Hana who has managed to fit her studies around her art practice, family life and publishing two books of poetry.

“I always felt like artists who came out of AUT were such highly skilled artists who made clever and sensitive work. I talked to a few friends who had done the PhD programme, and it seemed like the environment was really supportive and geared around ensuring that if you wanted to learn how to make something it would be possible. I think AUT has the best facilities in the country and a track record of producing really amazing artists, writers and researchers. It feels like a place where I can thrive as a multidisciplinary artist and writer.”

There are a number of staff whose guidance she particularly appreciates.

“I wanted to work with Associate Professor Monique Redmond as my supervisor because almost every single friend who had gone through AUT described her as the MVP. I love her work, especially her collective work with Public Share and how long she has been practising as an artist interested in lots of mediums. I’ve worked with Dr Layne Waerea, my other supervisor, before and I really wanted to pick her dual art/law brain.

“I’ve been working with ceramics for a while, but there's always so much more to learn and the technicians in the wet lab – Harriet Stockman, Sav Mattyasovsky and En Torng Sung – are so supportive of my crazy experiments and so accommodating whenever I need to use the labs as a distance student with limited time and a tornado toddler. Harriet especially is really keen to make sure I can make the most of what the lab has to offer, and if I have a deadline she makes it happen.”

Advice for other students
Hana – who expects to complete her PhD in 2027 and has been selected for a residency with Indigenous-run organisation Forge Project in Taghkanic, New York State, later this year – has some great advice for other students who are considering doctoral study.

“I’d say before you decide to study anywhere, you need to make sure there are people you want to work with and whose art practices you’re interested in. The most important relationship you have in a PhD is with your supervisors. There are so many great people working at AUT, including my supervisors, so I’d definitely recommend going to AUT.”

Be aware that there’s a bit of administrative work you have to do for a PhD, she adds.

“This can sometimes feel overwhelming, but once it’s done you can sink your teeth into what you really want to do with your research.”