Ko Tongariro te maunga
Ko Taupō-nui-a-Tia te moana
Ko Ngāti Tūwharetoa te iwi
Ko Te Heuheu te tangata.
The paintings and drawings of whanau and friends in this exhibition explore traditional techniques of capturing light and emotion.
My Kaupapa (purpose) is to portray emotion through the alla prima (wet on wet) technique of applying oil paint to linen. The dark backgrounds are inspired by my Dutch Jewish heritage, beginning in 17th Century Holland during the Dutch Golden Age when Rembrandt sold small tronies (small portraits) from his studio in the Old Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam. This is part of my whakapapa that stretches from Amsterdam to my marae in Tokaanu. At my marae many portraits painted, carved and photographic adorn our wharepuni walls. They represent the ancestors belonging to my hapū Ngāti Kurauia and the wider confederation of Ngāti Tūwharetoa.
I ask questions when painting, how does a person hold themselves? How do I portray the weight of a door hanging from its hinges? Can I portray the feeling expressed by a wrinkle or the inquiring mind of a child? I think questions and feelings are more important than mere technique, if not vital.
