Raukura Maria Turei (born 1987) is a New Zealand artist, actor and architectural designer. She works with MÃÂori iwi to design community-focused developments at the architectural practice Monk Mackenzie Architects. Her paintings have been exhibited throughout New Zealand, and she appeared in the New Zealand film The Dead Lands.
Turei was born in Auckland in 1987. She is MÃÂori and affiliates with the iwi (tribes) of NgÃÂi Tai ki TÃÂmaki and NgàRauru Këtahi. Her father is MÃÂori and her mother is PÃÂkehÃÂ. Her mother supported Turei and her sister to learn the MÃÂori language from a young age, and learnt alongside them.
Turei studied architecture at the University of Auckland, graduating with a Bachelor of Architectural Studies degree in 2009 and a Master of Architecture with first-class honours in 2012. In 2015, she registered as an architect with the New Zealand Registered Architects Board.
In an interview with Dale Husband in 2023, Turei stated that painting was her first love, but she listened to an influential teacher who steered her in the direction of architecture.
Turei has an art practice creating paintings, often utilising natural materials including iron sand and pigments from different landscapes. Turei's painting has been described as a 'journey in reconnecting with her whakapapa'. In New Zealand her work has been exhibited at the Dowse Art Museum (Wellington), Centre of Contemporary Art Toi Moroki (CoCA) (Christchurch), Objectspace (Auckland), Te PÃÂtaka Toi - The Adam Art Gallery (Wellington), Bartley and Co (Wellington) and Sumer Contemporary, Tauranga.
Designers and artists that inspire Turei include Mata Aho Collective, Kauae Raro Research Collective, ÃÂKAU, Pacific Sisters, My Art Aunties and Anne Lacaton.
Internationally, Turei has had artwork exhibited at the Tokyo Art Fair (2019), the Sydney Contemporary Art Fair and Day01 Gallery (also in Sydney).
In 2018 Turei created on site at the Adam Art Gallery in Wellington an artwork called Te poho o Hine-Ruhi, for the exhibition The earth looks upon us Ko Papatuanuku te matua o te tangata created with 'clay, acrylic, and water on digital print'.
The Pacific Portraits is a series Turei created whilst on residency in Rarotonga.
Turei is a resident artist at Corban Estate Arts Centre in West Auckland.
Turei has worked for Stevens Lawson Architects and Cheshire Architects in her architectural career.
Turei worked on the redevelopment of Q Theatre early on in her architectural practice. Her tole was with Te Rà Âpà « Reo Whakahaere, a MÃÂori consultant group, working alongside architect Pip Cheshire. Turei observed there was "a level of engagement in te ao MÃÂori that enriched the way the building is used".
As of 2023, Turei was working as a principal at Monk Mackenzie Architects in Auckland. Her work at Monk Mackenzie Architects involves leading papakÃÂinga (MÃÂori housing), marae planning (MÃÂori communal places) and community-focused developments with iwi (MÃÂori nation groups). A building that she says is influential to her architectural practice is the Teshima Art Museum by Ryue Nishizawa in Japan, and an architect she admires is Lina Bo Bardi.
Turei is a member of the Architecture + Women New Zealand network. She was on the jury panel in 2020 for the Architecture + Women NZ Dulux Awards alongside Lori Brown, Julia Gatley and Andrew TuâÂÂinukuafe.
In 2020, Turei won the residential category at the Interior Awards, a New Zealand-based architecture award. In 2021, Turei was a judge for the awards, and in 2022 won the Emerging Design Professional Award. The jury said: "Her cohesive, holistic projects demonstrate a pursuit of excellence at the highest level, within both te ao MÃÂori and the built environment".
In 2023, Turei was awarded the Wirihana Leadership Award at the A+W NZ 2023 Dulux Awards.
The Dead Lands, a New Zealand action film directed by Toa Fraser, and Find Me a MÃÂori Bride are two screen works Turei has appeared in. Turei was a finalist in the 2014 Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards for her role in The Dead Lands.