Literature that addresses Māori artists has predominantly been situated within a Western framework that has marginalised Māori epistemology and artistic integrity. Cultural subjugation sought to eliminate the culture and initiated this through a comparative discourse to Classical European art forms and through classification as a primitive and immature categorisation. This research explores the experiences of Māori artists residing in Otepoti and identifies a contrast between the literature and what the artists are saying. Competing discourses is a constant theme throughout this research, however, what emerges is an assertion by the artists of their worldview evolving from a strong cultural history and tradition and developing into a contemporary assertion of Iwi identity.