Fast Forward lecture series

A well-known and respected event in the community, Fast Forward is generously sponsored by GIB® . NZRAB CPD points are available at each lecture. Attendance at each talk is free. All are welcome.

Transcolonisation 

In the Architecture NZ article Transcolonisation 1990-2020, Anthony Hōete charted how architecture in Aotearoa was negotiating the complex entanglement of colonial inheritance and Indigenous resurgence. He described a 30-year trajectory in which design culture shifts from bicultural acknowledgement toward a more assertive Te Ao Māori architectural project, seeking to reconcile European traditions with Indigenous spatial knowledge.

This process of transcolonisation reframes architecture as an evolving dialogue in which Māori worldviews increasingly steer form, narrative, and purpose. Hōete positions this shift not as a stylistic turn but as a structural rebalancing, reshaping how architecture inhabits land, memory, and identity.

Embedded within the Fast Forward lecture series, the University of Auckland’s School of Architecture and Planning’s annual flagship lecture series, Transcolonisation 2026, asks pre-eminent Māori how their creative practice might influence architecture and the built environment.

Graham Hoete (Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui) - also known as Mr G (mrghoete.art) - is a leading contemporary Māori multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans Painting, whakairo (carving), graphic design, digital art, and large-scale public works. With over two decades of professional full-time practice, his work explores the intersection of kaupapa Māori, visual storytelling, and contemporary culture, positioning Indigenous narratives within both local and international contexts.

Hoete’s practice moves fluidly between gallery, architectural, and community environments, drawing on mātauranga Māori to create works grounded in whakapapa, identity, and place. Alongside his exhibition and public art practice, he has collaborated with global brands such as Star Wars and the FIFA World Cup, demonstrating the relevance of Māori visual language within international creative industries.

Through his multidisciplinary approach, Hoete continues to investigate how Indigenous knowledge systems can inform contemporary art and design, contributing to ongoing conversations around cultural visibility, narrative sovereignty, and the role of Māori creativity in shaping the visual landscape. "He Karoro ahau o ngā Karoro inu tai, o te haupapa kohatu, ko te Moutere o Mōtītī"

Derek Kawiti (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi, Tūhoe, Ngāti Porou) is a leading researcher whose work sits at the cutting edge of Indigenous robotics, computational design, and the built environment. A Professor of Architecture at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington, Kawiti specialises in Māori-designed environments and the integration of contemporary manufacturing technologies, generative software, and robotics into architectural practice.

He directs three pioneering research labs—SITUA, Indigenous Material Domains, and Corporate Spheres, which collectively advance the re-indigenising of architectural knowledge by merging tikanga and Māori geometries with digital fabrication and advanced automation.

His research explores how Indigenous customary knowledge can converge with emergent technologies to reshape future design methodologies; a theme reflected in his influential work on Indigenous computational design and material computation. A Principal Investigator at the MacDiarmid Institute, Kawiti is also an award-winning practitioner and television presenter whose projects span civic, governmental, and international contexts.

The Honourable Kiritapu Allan (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Rarawa) is a former New Zealand Cabinet Minister, having held Justice, Conservation, Emergency Management, Regional Economic Development, and associate Finance and Transport portfolios. A trained lawyer with deep community advocacy roots, she now champions indigenous-led renewable energy globally.

Allan directs Kōmaru, supporting Māori landowners in solar generation, and co-founded Four Directions Fund—the first global indigenous renewable energy fund connecting First Nations communities worldwide in their transition to energy independence. Her work spans policy insight, regional development, and hands-on implementation, from installing solar at her own home to partnering directly with whānau, iwi, and indigenous communities internationally.

Through Kōmaru, KLA Solutions, and 4DF, she advances energy sovereignty, resilience, and long-term economic independence for indigenous peoples everywhere, believing energy sovereignty is foundational to indigenous prosperity and self-determination.

Tyrone Ohia (Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāi Te Rangi) is the Founder and Creative Director of Extended Whānau, a Tāmaki Makaurau–based design studio known for not just pushing but for reconfiguring the boundaries of contemporary Māori design and visual communications. His work spans books, exhibitions, campaigns, and large-scale cultural projects, always driven by a commitment to making te ao Māori visible, relevant, and boldly expressive.

To font up! Ohia’s design achievements have been widely recognised: he won the Gerard Reid Award for Best Book for Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art, alongside the Best Illustrated Book and Best Typography awards at the 2023 PANZ Book Design Awards. His studio has also received a prestigious Type Directors Club Award for its striking design celebrating architect Rewi Thompson.

Ohia’s leadership continues to shape national conversations, most recently through creative direction for high‑profile cultural initiatives such as Dame Hinewehi Mohi’s Haka campaign.  And most recently, he became the first ever Māori designer to join the ranks of the esteemed Alliance Graphique Internationale, probably the highest global recognition one can achieve as a graphic designer.

Chelsea Winstanley (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi) is one of Aotearoa’s most influential Māori filmmakers, celebrated for advancing visual sovereignty and championing Indigenous authorship on screen. An Academy Award-nominated producer, she has emerged as a leading creative force with her feature documentary TOITŪ: Visual Sovereignty, which goes behind the scenes of Toi Tū Toi Ora, the largest exhibition of Contemporary Māori Art ever staged in Aotearoa.

The film exposes the tensions between institutional authority and Māori self-determination, revealing how Indigenous control over narrative and image becomes a political and cultural act. Winstanley’s filmmaking asserts that storytelling is spatial—that Māori narratives shape how people see, understand, and inhabit the built environment.

By reclaiming authorship, her work influences Māori architecture by affirming who holds the pen, who frames the space, and whose worldview structures the visual field. Her leadership continues through te reo film translation, arts governance, and sustained advocacy for Māori creative autonomy.

Many of our Fast Forward lectures are recorded and available to watch online following the event. Watch a selection of previous Fast Forward lectures on YouTube.

If you have any queries about our events, please get in touch.

Email: foed-events@auckland.ac.nz