carving space for Tangata Moana to thrive.
Born from evenings of shared kai, laughter, and honest talanoa, Brown Town began as a group of friends who found a sense of belonging in each other’s presence. What began as a simple commitment to show up for one another soon revealed a wider need for connection in our community, and Brown Town evolved into something much bigger.
Our mahi remains a commitment to our people, to each other, and to those looking for somewhere to belong.
Grace
Afega/Malie
STANDER OF PISINISI
Rooted in the vibrant communities of Hamilton and South Auckland, Grace brought a vision to Ōtautahi when she moved here in 2022. With a background in arts and advocacy, Grace felt a strong calling to build a space for Tangata Whenua and Tagata Moana to come together, and she envisioned a space where our communities could bloom. Growing Brown Town has been the realisation of a long-held dream for Grace, and she stands on pisinisi to keep our spaces accessible and joyful for all.
As a self-described creative hautūtū, Grace’s longing to give form to ideas is endless. Grace practices her mahi through tatau, writing, movement, and Siapo, and is driven by the constant indulgence of curiosity. She believes magic can happen when we allow ourselves to honour our unrealised plans, whakaaro, wishes, and talanoa. For her, creating is about telling your own story, on your own terms. Whether on the skin, page, or stage, Grace’s work embodies the notion of coming home to ourselves; boldly, tenderly, and fearlessly.
Darlene
Ngāpuhi/Ngāti Hine
KŌTIRO OF THE COIN
Our resident lover girl, Darlene is a wahine who follows her ngākau. As a professional make-up and cosmetic tattoo artist, everything Darlene touches turns to gold. Having founded her own business Studio Māia in 2022, Darlene is now committed to studying Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury. There, she hopes to develop her skills, while honouring the soulful pull she feels towards our toi tuku iho. As an artist, Darlene is inspired by her tīpuna and her whānau, crediting her people as a channel to remain grounded and create something beautiful.
As our Kōtiro of the Coin, Darlene has big dreams for us, albeit all tied up in a cute little excel spreadsheet. To her, Brown Town feels like an IRL group chat, where we can embrace and uplift one another through any version of ourselves. Darlene envisions a full-blown creative rebellion, where our people are allowed to laugh loudly and create boldly. She brings a quiet radiance into our spaces, making the boldest dreams feel practical and possible.
Shea
Ngāti Kahungunu/ /Ngā Rauru /Te Āti haunui-a-pāpārangi / ngāti tūwharetoa /Ngāpuhi
AUNTY OF ACTION
The pou of Brown Town, Shea’s aptitude for never taking life too seriously makes him a reliable source of strength and reason; a cherished necessity when life gets a bit hectic. A modern renaissance man, Shea is a purveyor of mātauranga, expressing himself through painting, music, tuku waiata, cooking, and drawing. While he typically lets his hands to the talking, Shea has an instrinsic passion to tell stories rooted in his culture and identity, and is grounded in his haerenga reo, beginning formal studies in 2025.
For Shea, Brown Town is home. As our Aunty of Action, Shea is energised by the hāpori we have built so far, and does the mahi to ensure our time together is joyous, meaningful, and above all else, a vibe. Brown Town’s resident dreamer and professional manifester, Shea has big aspirations for our collective. Moving to the rhythm of brown joy, Shea envisions a safe space for Tagata Moana and Tangata Whenua to come together, to make memories, laugh, create, cry, dance, and be unapologetically ourselves.
DEVYN
TE ATI AWA/TE WHAKATOHEA/
NGĀI TUHOE
CURATOR OF ĀHUA
A collector of beautiful things, Devyn is often found digging through op-shops, or under the glow of a disco ball. A graduate of Film and Media Studies, Devyn navigates high and lowbrow culture unironically, consuming everything from avant-garde cinema to sugary maximalist hyper-pop. She describes her mahi as memory-keeping, embracing photography, video, and writing as vessels of identity and belonging. Devyn’s work is archival yet celebratory, honouring the stories and potential blooming within those around her.
Devyn joined Brown Town out of a longing to be seen, and to be understood. For her, Brown Town is an altar to brown creativity. Devyn considers our collective to be both archive and blueprint, reflecting who we are while also shaping who we are becoming. As our Curator of Āhua, Devyn seeks to change the narrative, centring brown excellence in ways that celebrate and empower. Through our wānanga and talanoa, Devyn hopes our Tangata Whenua and Tagata Moana can find the same sense of belonging that she once yearned for herself.