Latest news with #FredGraham
Scoop
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Brett Graham Speaks About The Loss Of His Dad - The Artist Fred Graham
The winter season of Matariki is a time to remember those who passed away over the past year and one of those was the artist, Fred Graham, who died last month at the age of 96. Just a week before, he had attended the unveiling of his sculpture Te Manu Rangimaarie, at Taupiri in the Waikato and his exhibition Toi Whakaata / Reflections, opened at Christchurch Art Gallery on 31 May. Matua Fred was also just days away from receiving the New Zealand Order of Merit after being named in the 2025 New Year's Honours list and he'd been chosen as one of Aotearoa's artists at this year's Venice Biennale international exhibition. His son Brett Graham is a prominent artist in his own right whose sculpture 'Wastelands' featured at last year's Venice Biennale. Speaking to RNZ's Matariki programme Brett said one of the sub themes of the Biennale was family relationships, so the head curator wanted Brett and his father's work to be shown. Fred Graham never actually made it to the Biennale that year but Brett said it was fantastic to see his father's work on display. "The works in that show we had grown up with as children. Whiti te Rā, it's quite a joyous piece, a celebration of the haka, and the colours that he used as a child always fascinated me. "Actually I got in trouble with the curator because I talked about these works being massive, like 2 or 3 metres big, because that's my childhood memory of them and then of course when we unpacked them, they were a metre." Brett said people often talk about living up to the legacy of his parents, but rather than try to break away from the previous generation and create something new as is the nature of western art, for Māori artists it's about absorbing the past and moving forward. "We had such a great relationship, there was never any tension there or pressure at all. "I never sort of struggled with that legacy it was always just a natural path and dad was very generous." In fact, he said it was his mother who encouraged both him and his and his sister into the arts. "Dad loved to tell the story about he'd made a work so high, he called it Growth it's in his exhibition in Christchurch, and he always used to love to tell the story about how I was so brainwashed I'd drag it round the house as a Teddy Bear until he had his first exhibition and he had no qualms selling the thing." Brett said when his father saw that he told his mother 'I hate to break to you but I think your son is going to be an artist.' "I never wanted to be anything else but an artist, or probably not capable of being anything else," Brett said. He said growing up he was surrounded by Māori artists like Selwyn Muru and Kāterina Mataira so art came very naturally. Brett said his father's generation of artists were so interesting especially the carvers, because they loved the work of British sculptors. "When I started to use whakairo patterns, pākati and haehae and so on, he'd say to me 'nice carving, what do you want to do all that old stuff for?' That's the irony of Maoridom the arts scene now, the core group of Waikato carvers for example they're all in their 20s and then the so called 'contemporary artists' people like dad were in their 90s and 80s."
RNZ News
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Brett Graham speaks about the loss of his dad - the artist Fred Graham
Photo: Susana Lei'ataua The winter season of Matariki is a time to remember those who passed away over the past year and one of those was the artist, Fred Graham, who died last month at the age of 96. Just a week before, he had attended the unveiling of his sculpture Te Manu Rangimaarie, at Taupiri in the Waikato and his exhibition Toi Whakaata / Reflections, opened at Christchurch Art Gallery on 31 May. Matua Fred was also just days away from receiving the New Zealand Order of Merit after being named in the 2025 New Year's Honours list and he'd been chosen as one of Aotearoa's artists at this year's Venice Biennale international exhibition. His son Brett Graham is a prominent artist in his own right whose sculpture 'Wastelands' featured at last year's Venice Biennale. Brett Graham's Wasteland Photo: Ben Stewart Speaking to RNZ's Matariki programme Brett said one of the sub themes of the Biennale was family relationships, so the head curator wanted Brett and his father's work to be shown. Fred Graham never actually made it to the Biennale that year but Brett said it was fantastic to see his father's work on display. "The works in that show we had grown up with as children. Whiti te Rā, it's quite a joyous piece, a celebration of the haka, and the colours that he used as a child always fascinated me. "Actually I got in trouble with the curator because I talked about these works being massive, like 2 or 3 metres big, because that's my childhood memory of them and then of course when we unpacked them, they were a metre." Brett said people often talk about living up to the legacy of his parents, but rather than try to break away from the previous generation and create something new as is the nature of western art, for Māori artists it's about absorbing the past and moving forward. "We had such a great relationship, there was never any tension there or pressure at all. "I never sort of struggled with that legacy it was always just a natural path and dad was very generous." In fact, he said it was his mother who encouraged both him and his and his sister into the arts. "Dad loved to tell the story about he'd made a work so high, he called it Growth it's in his exhibition in Christchurch, and he always used to love to tell the story about how I was so brainwashed I'd drag it round the house as a Teddy Bear until he had his first exhibition and he had no qualms selling the thing." Fred Graham's Growth. (please keep full size) Photo: Supplied/Sam Hartnett Brett said when his father saw that he told his mother 'I hate to break to you but I think your son is going to be an artist.' "I never wanted to be anything else but an artist, or probably not capable of being anything else," Brett said. He said growing up he was surrounded by Māori artists like Selwyn Muru and Kāterina Mataira so art came very naturally. Brett said his father's generation of artists were so interesting especially the carvers, because they loved the work of British sculptors. "When I started to use whakairo patterns, pākati and haehae and so on, he'd say to me 'nice carving, what do you want to do all that old stuff for?' That's the irony of Maoridom the arts scene now, the core group of Waikato carvers for example they're all in their 20s and then the so called 'contemporary artists' people like dad were in their 90s and 80s." Installation view of Fred Graham's Toi Whaakata / Reflections exhibition, Te Uru, 2024. Photo: Supplied/Sam Hartnett Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Obituary: Fred Graham, artist
Fred Graham's service to Māori art dates back to the 1950s. Photo: RNZ/supplied Respected artist Fred Graham remained relevant right up until the end: a major new sculpture, Te Manu Rangimaarie, was unveiled at Taupiri just before his death. Graham (Ngāti Koroki Kahukura) had also just been chosen as one of the New Zealand artists to be part of this year's Venice Biennale international exhibition. Graham was born in South Waikato and was a talented rugby player, appearing three times for New Zealand Māori. He trained as a teacher and balanced education and art for most of his career. In 1966, he was a key figure in organising an exhibition of contemporary Māori painting and sculptures, with the likes of Cliff Whiting and Paratene Matchitt. Graham's sculptures are displayed around New Zealand and also in several overseas galleries. Graham was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori art in 2018, and later that year he was named an Arts Foundation Icon. In the 2025 New Year Honours, Graham was promoted to Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. He is survived by his children Gary, Brett, a successful sculptor and artist, and Kathryn, a television and podcast producer. Fred Graham died on May 9 aged 96. — APL/agencies
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
New Exhibitions Celebrate Waikato's Public Art And Pioneering Maaori Artist
Press Release – Hamilton City Council Inside Out is open to the public at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery from 16 May to 5 October 2025 and entry is free. Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi is open from 16 May to 7 September 2025 and entry is free. He Mai Mai Aroha Kia Fred Graham' E te maatanga toi ote ao Maaori takoto! Kua mutu to hikoitanga ite mata ote whenua oou Tuupuna Maatua Haere atu raa. E kore e mutu te tangi mou. Kei te tuu tonu ana oou taonga hanga nei koe ete matua hurinoa ki te Ao katoa! Kaati a tera waahi mou E moe! A celebration of Waikato's public art and a powerful painting retrospective are the two new exhibitions opening this week at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery. 'Inside Out' showcases the region's landmark sculptures through photographs alongside smaller-scale works by the same artists. The exhibition has been curated by Te Whare Taonga's Gina Matchitt and includes work by the legendary Tainui artist Fred Graham, who passed away last week aged 97. 'Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi' celebrates pioneering Maaori artist Robyn Kahukiwa, who passed away recently aged 87. The exhibition is developed and toured by The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata, in partnership with Te Manawa Museum. 'We are buzzing with excitement to share these two new exhibitions,' said Liz Cotton, Director of Museum and Arts. ' Inside Out will take our visitors from the bold outdoor landmarks we all recognise from around the region, to the intimacy of a gallery setting with insights to the process of developing larger-than-life scale work. 'It's fascinating to see how an iconic public artwork, like Chris Booth and Diggeress Te Kanawa's 'Ngā Uri o Hinetuparimaunga' located at the entrance to Hamilton Gardens, relates directly to an exquisite feathered korowai and to a dramatic installation in the Museum's largest gallery space. 'As well as work by Fred Graham, Chris Booth, and Diggeress Te Kanawa, Inside Out also features the artists Dion Hitchens, Lonnie Hutchinson, Bob Jahnke, Eugene Kara, and Para Matchitt. 'We've also created the 'Inside Out Road Trip' with a custom Google Maps itinerary so that you can continue a self-lead adventure visiting the public art featured in our exhibition.' Regarding the exhibition Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi, Cotton acknowledges the poignant timing of this tribute to one of Aotearoa New Zealand's trailblazing artists: 'In light of Robyn's passing, there is a deeper resonance to Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi and the decades of her artwork on display. Her mahi has become an alternate visual rendering of Aotearoa's history, through the lens of a Maaori woman. It is an honour to share this nationwide touring exhibition with our communities here in Hamilton Kirikiriroa.' Robyn Kahukiwa has iwi affiliations to Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Konohi, and Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare. As well as powerful paintings that interweave art and politics, she also wrote and illustrated award-winning children's books, including collaborating with writer Patricia Grace. In 2020, Creative New Zealand named Kahukiwa as the Supreme Award winner at the 34th Te Waka Toi Awards in recognition of her extensive career as a painter, illustrator, sculptor and author, as well as her unyielding political and cultural commentary. Inside Out is open to the public at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery from 16 May to 5 October 2025 and entry is free. Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi is open from 16 May to 7 September 2025 and entry is free. Please note For te reo Maaori, Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery uses double vowels (uu) in place of vowels with a macron (ū) to represent a long vowel sound. This spelling approach is the preference of tangata whenua in Hamilton Kirikiriroa and Waikato iwi for te reo Maaori words. Artists' titles are shown in their original form.
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
New Exhibitions Celebrate Waikato's Public Art And Pioneering Maaori Artist
He Mai Mai Aroha Kia Fred Graham' E te maatanga toi ote ao Maaori takoto! Kua mutu to hikoitanga ite mata ote whenua oou Tuupuna Maatua Haere atu raa. E kore e mutu te tangi mou. Kei te tuu tonu ana oou taonga hanga nei koe ete matua hurinoa ki te Ao katoa! Kaati a tera waahi mou E moe! A celebration of Waikato's public art and a powerful painting retrospective are the two new exhibitions opening this week at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery. 'Inside Out' showcases the region's landmark sculptures through photographs alongside smaller-scale works by the same artists. The exhibition has been curated by Te Whare Taonga's Gina Matchitt and includes work by the legendary Tainui artist Fred Graham, who passed away last week aged 97. 'Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi' celebrates pioneering Maaori artist Robyn Kahukiwa, who passed away recently aged 87. The exhibition is developed and toured by The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata, in partnership with Te Manawa Museum. 'We are buzzing with excitement to share these two new exhibitions,' said Liz Cotton, Director of Museum and Arts. ' Inside Out will take our visitors from the bold outdoor landmarks we all recognise from around the region, to the intimacy of a gallery setting with insights to the process of developing larger-than-life scale work. 'It's fascinating to see how an iconic public artwork, like Chris Booth and Diggeress Te Kanawa's 'Ngā Uri o Hinetuparimaunga' located at the entrance to Hamilton Gardens, relates directly to an exquisite feathered korowai and to a dramatic installation in the Museum's largest gallery space. 'As well as work by Fred Graham, Chris Booth, and Diggeress Te Kanawa, Inside Out also features the artists Dion Hitchens, Lonnie Hutchinson, Bob Jahnke, Eugene Kara, and Para Matchitt. 'We've also created the 'Inside Out Road Trip' with a custom Google Maps itinerary so that you can continue a self-lead adventure visiting the public art featured in our exhibition.' Regarding the exhibition Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi, Cotton acknowledges the poignant timing of this tribute to one of Aotearoa New Zealand's trailblazing artists: 'In light of Robyn's passing, there is a deeper resonance to Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi and the decades of her artwork on display. Her mahi has become an alternate visual rendering of Aotearoa's history, through the lens of a Maaori woman. It is an honour to share this nationwide touring exhibition with our communities here in Hamilton Kirikiriroa.' Robyn Kahukiwa has iwi affiliations to Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Konohi, and Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare. As well as powerful paintings that interweave art and politics, she also wrote and illustrated award-winning children's books, including collaborating with writer Patricia Grace. In 2020, Creative New Zealand named Kahukiwa as the Supreme Award winner at the 34th Te Waka Toi Awards in recognition of her extensive career as a painter, illustrator, sculptor and author, as well as her unyielding political and cultural commentary. Inside Out is open to the public at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery from 16 May to 5 October 2025 and entry is free. Robyn Kahukiwa: Tohunga Mahi Toi is open from 16 May to 7 September 2025 and entry is free. Please note For te reo Maaori, Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery uses double vowels (uu) in place of vowels with a macron (ū) to represent a long vowel sound. This spelling approach is the preference of tangata whenua in Hamilton Kirikiriroa and Waikato iwi for te reo Maaori words. Artists' titles are shown in their original form.
