Brett Graham

Ngāti Koroki Kahukura

Brett Graham is known for his ability to take complex historical and cultural ideas and work them into formally strong and beautiful sculptural forms. Graham places emphasis on materiality and surface with the formal simplicity of his sculptural pieces and predominant use of wood and stone. His work embraces Māori and other indigenous peoples’ histories, critiquing and exploring issues relating to cultural inequities of the past and present within New Zealand and the wider Pacific. Graham was awarded his Doctorate in Fine Arts in 2005 from the University of Auckland and in the last decade has exhibited extensively, locally and internationally as well as being regarded as a leading authority on contemporary Māori sculpture.

Graham’s work engages in a dialogue of Māori and European histories whilst adhering to the modernist emphasis on form and material quality. Although his works may not directly invoke Māori sculptural tradition, they nonetheless speak of that tradition in their titles and concept. His work is accessible at an aesthetic, personal and historical level, enabling both the object and viewer to occupy a common ground.

Brett has a doctorate in Fine Arts from the University of Auckland and MFA from the University of Hawaii. His work is in public and private collections around the world. He has also produced several major public artworks throughout New Zealand and undertaken artist residencies in Switzerland, the United States of America (New York and Hawaii) and Australia.

Courtesy:Alison Bartley – Bartley & Company

Weapons of Mass Destruction, Te Hokioi, 2008