This article was first published on RNZ.
They say there’s nothing you can’t do when you’re in New York, which is spot on for a Māori-Greek artist who got to witness his work light up Manhattan.
Jimmy James Kouratoras’ Hei Tiki - For the Love of Our Ancestors painting is currently being shown in New York’s Theatre District as a part of the Sacred Origins exhibition at Jutta Gallery, and it has featured on a 10-metre high digital billboard.
“It was like sending a message from the ancestors straight into the heart of one of the world’s busiest cities,” he said.
It is the artist’s first showing in the art capital since 2015, when an older piece was exhibited at the Agora Gallery.
Every brushstroke is a salute to his Māori and Greek whakapapa.
His new piece brings “heavens, the earth, nature, and the human realm in close quarters with each other” and his tīpuna are portrayed as elements of nature.
“As an artist, most of my work happens in solitude, in deep connection with ancestry, whenua, and wairua. So to have that work seen and recognised on an international stage is a privilege.”
The Waikato-Tainui and Cretan Greek tāne has also been named a finalist in this year’s National Contemporary Art Award.
Hosted by Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery, the competition had a record 480 entries shortlisted to just 53 artists.
The exhibition will run from 1 August to 16 November and the winners will be announced on 31 July.
“This acknowledgement isn’t just about me - it’s about the kaupapa, the stories of our tīpuna, the layers of whakapapa, and the ongoing journey of transformation through art,” Kouratoras said.
He never took the usual art school route, but naturally draws from his bloodline to create contemporary artwork that every so often aligns with socio-political topics.
“I work through karakia, through intuition. The studio becomes a sacred space here, the invisible mechanics of the universe begin to take shape.”
As a part of his solo exhibition, Kouratoras’ latest creation is dedicated to the sacred rhythms of the Maramataka, or the traditional Māori lunar calendar. Matariki Sacred Waters - Where Land Meets the Sky, accompanied by 14 paintings and seven Pou sculptures, is now showing at Franklin Arts Centre in Pukekohe.
By Emma Andrews of RNZ.
