Natalie Couch Ngati Tuwharetoa, Te Arawa, Pakeha. Natalie Couch completed her BFA at Elam School of Fine Arts in 1998. Since then she has been creating work, and exhibiting extensively in the past few years both nationally and internationally. Recently she traveled to Pagopago, Samoa as part of the CNZ delegation to the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts. Natalie is an active member of the Maori print collective, ‘Toi Whakataa.’ Her prints have been shown throughout Aotearoa as well as in exhibitions across the US ,in France, and Bulgaria. ‘This series of works on paper are explorations of my identity and spiritual links to the land, sea, and sky through genealogical lines. ’Through similarities and differences of mahi toi and tikanga, we can identify the ways in which we as indigenous peoples relate to our unique environs of the Pacific- hence, in coming together, we are effectively weaving together the various kakano of the ula."