Brett Graham
Brett Graham is a New Zealand sculptor who creates large scale artworks and installations that explore indigenous histories, politics and philosophies. Of Ngāti Korokī Kahukura and Pakeha descent, Graham was born in Auckland, New Zealand, where he currently resides.
His work embraces Maori and other indigenous people's histories, critiquing and exploring issues relating to cultural inequities of the past and present within New Zealand and the wider Pacific. "I think that his deep knowledge of customary Maori cultural practices is what gives his work its strength. This, combined with a practice which can speak to audiences at many different levels, is what makes his work resonant," said curator, writer, and researcher Candice Hopkins.
Graham is a Bachelor of Fine Arts, a Master of Fine Arts and a Doctor of Fine Arts.
Snitch from 2014, in the collection of the Honolulu Museum of Art, references the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch. It is an example of the artist's combining traditional Maori carving with contemporary themes. Graham's work was included in the 2007 Venice Biennale, 2017 Honolulu Biennial, and in the Biennale of Sydney in both 2006 and 2010. The Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, the Honolulu Museum of Art, and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa are among the public collections holding work by Brett Graham.Footnotes
