It will cost thousands of dollars and is being held on the other side of the world, but Tairawhiti artist Tawera Tahuri isn’t letting that stop her exhibiting at the 2009 Florence Biennale.

The Tairawhiti Polytechnic Toihoukura tutor and mother of six received an invitation to be part of the event, which is held every two years in Florence, Italy. She is believed to be the first contemporary Maori artist to have this honour.

She ignored the first couple of e-mails, mainly because of the cost she knew would be involved. But after chatting to a few other artists, she realised it was something she really did want to be involved with.

Friend and mentor Wayne Ngata gave her a “big push”, and now the challenge is on to raise around $15,000 so Tahuri can get herself and her art work to Italy in December.

“Artistry comes with a certain sacrifice attached,” she says.

“I have a friend who had to take a loan out just to get to the Venice exhibition but we just aren’t in a position to do that.”

The biennale draws around 800 artists from 80 countries. Their works are displayed in the heart of Florence, in Fortezza da Basso, a huge structure built in 1533-34 and used to host the city’s most important exhibitions. It is considered a fantastic example of renaissance architecture.

The Lorenzo il Magnifico is the top award at the biennale, and in the past it has been won by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Richard Anuszkiewicz, David Hockney, Ferrari, the Restoratino Laboratories of the Vatican Museums and more recently British artists Gilbert and George.

Tahuri started her art career at Toihoukura 13 years ago. With a masters degree now in hand, she and husband Henare are back teaching where it all began. It seems right, she says.

All her family are active in the community and keen kapa haka competitors. Tahuri organises Matariki fashion shows and has a label herself, among other things.

Much of her time now though is spent dealing with funding applications and seeking sponsorship.

Her campaign has been kicked off by a proud polytechnic that has paid for her registration, a $1000 donation from Toi Hauiti, along with other support from her father Owen Lloyd and the Cronin family.

Tahuri is planning an installation featuring seven pou tokomanawa of Rawiri Tamanui, the eponymous ancestor Nga Ariki Kaiputahi of Mangatu.

“There is a lot of symbolism, with the pou sitting on seven gates representing the gate keepers.”

She has already spent around $3000 on having her sculptures cast in fibreglass. Her original works were in wood and formed part of her thesis show at Tairawhiti Museum in 2007.

Numbers have become an important part of Tahuri’s life — particularly the number seven, which, among other things, refers to the seven generation principle of Nga Ariki Kaiputahi.

“My father’s generation were the seventh and it was they who revived our land claim and followed it through. So now I am looking to the next seven generations, and my generation is the first of that line.”

Tahuri says she only ever does things she is passionate about. Her work is conceptually Maori and mixed media.

She prefers to work in triptychs.

“It’s that number thing again.”

Coincidentally, 2009 is the seventh Florence Biennale.

While there is a tremendous amount of work to be done, Tahuri is excited to be exhibiting where people she taught about have done the same.

“It is all a bit of a buzz,” she says.

“I have been heavily inspired by a lot of European artists, as I have Maori artists.”

To Tahuri, the trip is about more than just herself.

“I feel I am representing my iwi, so it is appropriate to take my tipuna.”

While in Florence she will deliver on a promise she made with former Toihoukura tutor Sandy Adsett years ago.

“We were in Florence, and had very little money, so the choice was to go and see Michelangelo’s David but we opted for McDonald’s. I promised Sandy I would go back one day and see it.”

Tahuri recently featured on a documentary on Maori TV on The New Migration.

• Anyone keen to help Tahuri should contact Jennifer Hussey at Toihoukura on 868 0347 or e-mail jennifer@tairawhit.ac.nz