Her exhibition, "Toku Inangaro I Taku Peu Maori", is one of three Pasifika exhibits on display at the shared exhibition space at the Dunedin Fringe x Pride Hub in Princes St.
Ms Pekepo said art from the Cook Islands and Pacific Islands was not represented as much as she would like in Dunedin.
Her Cook Islands heritage was closely aligned with her identity as an artist.
"My main message is how beautiful and vibrant my culture in the Cook Islands is," she said.
She was keen to get across there was more to the Cook Islands than just being a tourist attraction.
All of her artwork was hand-made and this represented what the Cook Islands could bring to the world.
"I want to show people the beauty of the work my people can offer the world."
A lot of students who moved from the Cook Islands to Dunedin for university would get homesick, she said.
Her exhibition was created with a "sense of home" in mind, and she hoped this would bring them memories and a reminder of their culture.
It was important to honour your heritage, Ms Pekepo said.
"If you know exactly where you’re from and who you belong to then that gives you the strength to continue carrying on the bloodline."
She had been making art for the past 18 years and this was her first time being a part of the Fringe Festival.
Fellow artist Rosie Roache’s exhibition, "Flaneur", depicts the life of a university student and its significance.
"For a young Pacific girl moving out of home, anything other than marriage is pretty rare."
Ms Roache was the first of four sisters to move down to Dunedin.
"Moving to Dunedin was pretty overwhelming," she said.
"Taking photos and going for walks helped me to warm up to Dunedin," Ms Roache said.
Padma Naidu’s exhibition "Wandering Wonders Incensed" drew from her childhood growing up in Fiji.
Her drawing was a daily meditation of "mask-making" done over 30 days.
The folds and creases of the fabric symbolised the archipelago of Fiji.
She invited the audience and other artists to respond to the work in their own way.
Each exhibition is available until the end of the Fringe Festival on March 26.
