item details
NameWhiti te ra
ProductionParatene Matchitt; artist; 1962; New Zealand
Classificationpaintings
Materialsgouache, boards
Materials Summarygouache on board
DimensionsSight: 675mm (height), 430mm (length)
Registration Number2003-0019-1
Credit linePurchased 2003
Overview
In Whiti te ra, Paratene Matchitt merges Māori ideas and styles with cubist elements.
The title comes from the final words of the famous haka (chant) ‘Ka Mate’, composed by the Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha to express his elation upon cheating death. Here, we see an abstract figure with arms raised in that final moment of triumph.
The style of painting – particularly the use of flat blocks of colour – reveals the influence of modern European artists like Pablo Picasso.