Fred Graham Ngā Hau E Whā (The Four Winds) 1984. Kauri and painted custom wood. Collection of Creative New Zealand. Courtesy of the artist and Te Uru. Photo: Samuel Hartnett
Fred Graham Te Wānanga o Aotearoa (detail) 2013. Kauri, stainless steel and custom wood. Te Kōpuni Kura, Collection of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Courtesy of the artist and Te Uru. Photo: Samuel Hartnett
31 May – 5 October 2025
The Gallery acknowledges with deep sadness the passing of Matua Fred Graham on 9 May 2025. Moe mai rā e te Rangatira.
The long and distinguished practice of Aotearoa New Zealand artist Fred Graham (Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Tainui) is celebrated in this selection of significant sculptures and relief works from 1965 to 2013. They demonstrate the development of Graham’s distinctive visual language, which combined Māori and European artmaking traditions. Using wood, stone and stainless steel, Graham wove together close observations of the natural world – birds in flight and the flow of water – with evocative references to the imagery and narratives of te ao Māori. He became a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2024 for his services to Māori art.
Developed and toured by Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery.
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Exhibition number:
1176
