Latest news with #MāoriArt
RNZ News
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Māori-Greek artist takes a slice of Aotearoa to the Big Apple
Jimmy James Kouratoras has two decades of experience in the film industry as a scenic artist and 12 years as a solo artist. Photo: Supplied They say there's nothing you can't do when you're in New York, which is spot on for a Māori-Greek artist who got to witness his work light up Manhattan. Jimmy James Kouratoras' Hei Tiki - For the Love of Our Ancestors painting is currently being shown in New York's Theatre District as a part of the Sacred Origins exhibition at Jutta Gallery, and it has featured on a 10-metre high digital billboard. "It was like sending a message from the ancestors straight into the heart of one of the world's busiest cities," he said. It is the artist's first showing in the art capital since 2015, when an older piece was exhibited at the Agora Gallery. Hei Tiki - for the love of our ancestors painting on a digital billboard in Manhattan Photo: supplied Every brushstroke is a salute to his Māori and Greek whakapapa. His new piece brings "heavens, the earth, nature, and the human realm in close quarters with each other" and his tīpuna are portrayed as elements of nature. "As an artist, most of my work happens in solitude, in deep connection with ancestry, whenua, and wairua. So to have that work seen and recognised on an international stage is a privilege." The Waikato-Tainui and Cretan Greek tāne has also been named a finalist in this year's National Contemporary Art Award. Hosted by Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery, the competition had a record 480 entries shortlisted to just 53 artists. The exhibition will run from 1 August to 16 November and the winners will be announced on 31 July. "This acknowledgement isn't just about me - it's about the kaupapa, the stories of our tīpuna, the layers of whakapapa, and the ongoing journey of transformation through art," Kouratoras said. The painting, Hei Tiki - For the Love of Our Ancestors, is currenting showing in New York City. (This image has been rotated) Photo: supplied He never took the usual art school route, but naturally draws from his bloodline to create contemporary artwork that every so often aligns with socio-political topics. "I work through karakia, through intuition. The studio becomes a sacred space here, the invisible mechanics of the universe begin to take shape." As a part of his solo exhibition, Kouratoras' latest creation is dedicated to the sacred rhythms of the Maramataka, or the traditional Māori lunar calendar. Matariki Sacred Waters - Where Land Meets the Sky , accompanied by 14 paintings and seven Pou sculptures, is now showing at Franklin Arts Centre in Pukekohe. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
31-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Māori and Pasifika art takes the MET
Fiona Pardington Hei Tiki (female) (PHOTO: supplied/MET) Māori artist(s) - Greenstone pendant (PHOTO: supplied/MET) Tongan artist(s) - Female figure ('otua fefine) (PHOTO: supplied/MET) Fijian artist(s) - Panel (Masi Kesa) (PHOTO: supplied/MET) Photo: Neil Mackenzie A delegation of seven Māori and Pasifika artists are at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, for the grand reopening of the Arts of Oceania Galleries. The galleries are housed in the newly imagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, of the MET, which has been closed for renovations since 2021. The Oceania Galleries have 500 years of art from our region. And it was in these galleries that the 1984 Te Māori exhibition took place, a huge step in the journey to elevate Māori and Pacific art from being viewed as 'anthropological artefacts' - to a living, dynamic cultural expression. Photo: Dr Maia Nuku Overseeing The Arts of Oceania galleries in New York is MET Curator Maia Nuku. Mihi speaks with Maia and Puamiria Parata-Goodall, who was a rangatahi performer for Te Māori when it toured the US from 1984-1986.
Washington Post
30-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Protests over ‘please walk on me' flag artwork prompt its removal from New Zealand gallery — again
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A New Zealand flag printed with the words 'please walk on me' and laid on the floor of an art gallery has once again been packed away following public outcry, 30 years after protests forced the removal of the same artwork. The Suter Art Gallery in the city of Nelson said Thursday it had taken down the work by Māori artist Diane Prince due to escalating tensions and safety fears. The episode mirrored an Auckland gallery's removal of the work amid public backlash and complaints to law enforcement in 1995.
RNZ News
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Arts icon Fred Graham dies aged 96
Fred Graham's service to Māori art dates back to the 1950s. Photo: Supplied By The Big Idea The arts world is in mourning after the passing of one of the true icons of Ngā Toi Māori, Fred Graham at the age of 96. A beloved artist, mentor and educator - Graham has remained a relevant figure in the art world, just last week unveiling a major new sculpture, Te Manu Rangimaarie, at Taupiri. Graham (Ngāti Koroki Kahukura) is still a global attraction, chosen as one of the New Zealand artists to be part of this year's Venice Biennale international exhibition. It's just one of many overseas exhibitions Graham has been involved with, including the 1986 Te Ao Marama (Seven Māori Artists) exhibition that toured Australia and a 1992 United States tour showcasing contemporary Māori art. He was named a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2025 New Year's Honours list, which he was due to receive later this month, and was preparing for the opening of his latest exhibition, Fred Graham: Toi Whakaata / Reflections, at Christchurch Art Gallery (opening 31 May). As the Arts Foundation pointed out in its social media post, "Even in his final days, his legacy was growing". Graham's service to Māori art dates back to the 1950s. He was an art adviser to Māori primary schools throughout Rotorua and Northland, has been Head of the Art Department at various schools throughout the North Island and he has played a key role in inspiring and developing the next generation of artistic talent as a mentor and advocate. He was a pioneer of the Contemporary Māori Art Movement and in 1966 he was a key figure in organising one of the first exhibitions of contemporary Māori painting and sculptures in Hamilton, part of what is known as "The class of '66" with the likes of Cliff Whiting and Paratene Matchitt. Graham served on the Haerewa Māori Cultural Advisory Group at the Auckland Art Gallery for almost three decades. He has produced sculptures that are displayed in cities and towns across the motu, as well as galleries in Seattle, Vancouver and South Korea. Most recently, Graham was commissioned to create sculptures for the new Catholic College in Drury and a roundabout south of Tīrau. His artistic legacy is also a genetic one, with his Arts Laureate son Brett Graham also a renowned exponent of Māori sculpture and also part of this year's New Zealand contingent at Venice. His daughter Kathyrn is also an influential member of the creative community as a television and podcast producer, with many projects focusing on arts and culture. In his last interview with The Big Idea last year, Fred Graham spoke of his desire for his legacy to be helping to inspire the next generation of artists. "It's a pretty hard row to hoe as artists in New Zealand - whether you're involved in music, art, opera, you name it. "It's always the major question when you tell people you're an artist, they say 'What do you do for a living?'" Graham laughed. "When people like myself receive these types of recognition, it can help inspire people to stay on their path." He took great pride in the work of his children - noting in the context of his shared Venice Biennale achievement with his son: "I'm very proud of being able to share this with him - to be quite honest I'm very happy to be known as Brett Graham's father." Graham's ability was unquestionable, his motivations undeniable and his impact unbreakable. A mighty tōtara has fallen, but will not be forgotten. * This story originally appeared in The Big Idea .
