John's Museum Art Gallery Kauhau

Chris Bryant - John’s Museum Art Gallery Kauhau

During 1990 as part of the largest exhibition of Maori art, Kohia Ko Taikaka Anake became a platform for founding contemporary Moari artist, John Bevan Ford, to declare, “We’re here, they’re gone… at last we can take our place with pride and dignity.”

John’s kauhau or proclamation references the early relationships of museum art galleries with Maori artists whereby they were notified how to behave within the institution. This adverse response was further met with misinterpretation of contemporary Maori art and modern Maori culture by museum art gallery officials, that were more concerned with preserving ancestral treasures or taonga.

With his 2009 Winebox Chris pays homage to John Bevan Ford and others who continue to construct new directions that allow taonga, contemporary Maori art and community culture to prosper.

This winebox raised $4750.00 for RealPeople @ Mosaic.

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