Originally from Invercargill, Isaac Te Awa (Ngāpuhi, Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha) has been based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara since his appointment as Curator Mātauranga Māori at Te Papa Tongarewa. Isaac is versed in the whakapapa and tikanga of his people and undertakes ongoing research into his creative practice fuelled by a passion for taonga. He is an active practitioner and researcher of Māori weaving, carving, and player of taonga pūoro with a special interest in the revitalisation and documentation of traditional technique, practice, and knowledge. Isaac studied Traditional Māori Weaving at Hetet School of Māori Art, has a Graduate Diploma Te Ara Pourewa Heritage & Museum Studies from Eastern Institute of Technology, and has a background in nursing.

Isaac is currently undertaking DNA provenance research on feathers and harakeke, and recently Co-Edited ‘Flora: Celebrating our Botanical World’ (2023), an award-winning botanical anthology published by Te Papa Press.