I was born in the Pacific Equinox

item details

NameI was born in the Pacific Equinox

ProductionJohn Pule; artist; 2001; Auckland

Classificationpaintings, works of art

Materialsoil paint, canvas

Materials Summaryoil on canvas

DimensionsOverall: 2362mm (height), 1826mm (length)

Registration Number2001-0042-1

Credit linePurchased 2001

Overview

Our quest should not be for a revival of our past cultures, but for the creation of new cultures … the quest should be for a new Oceania.

Albert Wendt, 1976

This exhibition showcases works by two founding figures of contemporary Pacific art: Mathias Kauage, a celebrated modernist artist from Papua New Guinea, and John Pule, a leading contemporary artist from Niue and New Zealand.

Like modern Māori art, contemporary Pacific art has evolved in response to cultural shifts and dynamic social changes. In the Pacific, these include urbanisation, migration, decolonisation, and independence.

These three works were selected to coincide with the International Indigenous Modernisms: Histories of the Contemporary symposium at Te Papa, 11 and 12 December 2014.