Hemi Macgregor has developed work within a wide range of media from painting and printmaking to sculpture and film. He applies a philosophy to his practice that considers the medium as a mechanism for developing ideas while at the same time focusing on the conceptual framework that provides the basis for the works' existence. Hemi has been involved in a number of nationally recognised group shows of Maori artists, along with solo shows following the completion of his Masters of Maori Visual Arts (MMVA) graduate exhibition Back in the Hood (2003).

“This work looks at identity politics for Maori youth in the after-effects of colonisation and global influences. In its development I have focused primarily on perceptual elements representative of Maori youth culture in New Zealand, namely hooded sweatshirts and baseball caps. My intent is to represent the relationship between the physical use of the object and their social connotations. Underpinning this is the works’ allusion to the context of Maori culture and references to the wharenui or Maori meeting house as how Maori see their connection to the cosmos. This becomes the true focus in the work and the relationship to popular culture in some ways is just the hook.”