Manos Nathan
Manos Nathan
Manos Nathan was born in Rawene, Hokianga, in 1948, and grew up in Titahi Bay in Porirua. His tribal affliations are Te Roroa, Ngati Whatua and Nga Puhi. He works out of his home studio/workshop in Dargaville and Ahi-ka-roa workshop and kiln, at Matatina Marae in the Waipoua forest.
Nathan's big OE (overseas experience) as a young man had him working and studying art in Britainand Europe. A Fulbright Award in 1989 led to a visit, with colleague Baye Riddell, to the Pueblo and Hopi potters of the Southwest states of the USA. This was the first of numerous cultural exchanges with indigenous peoples of the Pacific, USA, Canada, Australia and most recently Japan.
Among the customary art forms of the Māori, there was no tradition of ceramic art. However the cosmological/creation narratives include the origins of clay, ochre, fire and water - all are elements required for the fashioning of ceramic works.
"In my efforts to create an identity/profile for works in clay, I have adapted design and symbolism from the customary art forms of wood, stone and bone carving, from ta moko and from the fibre arts of ta niko and tukutuku. I have also drawn on the rich heritage of allegory and metaphor found in pakiwaitara, purakau and pepeha (folklore, myths/legends and proverbs) as a source of inspiration for the creation of Maori clayworks."
As a foundation member and former Chairperson of Te Atinga, the Contemporary Māori Visual Arts Committee of Toi Maori Aotearoa, Nathan has been active in the promotion of contemporary Māori art for many years.
Nathan has exhibited extensively in New Zealandand overseas, his works are found in public and private collections worldwide including the British Museum, Museum of Scotland, Burke Museum, Seattle, USA and Te Papa Tongarewa.
