Cerys Davidson, Collections Care Curator, University of Waikato Art Collection
Curator Leafa Wilson notes that contemporary Māori artist Donn Ratana is one of ‘Aotearoa’s unsung contemporary Māori art heroes’ (1) Also a celebrated senior arts educator based at the University of Waikato for a significant part of his career, Ratana’s artistic and education practice combine to share the vital tools of creativity for the next generation of teachers and learners.
The breadth of work Ratana has produced across his career is ‘Like the renowned mist of his Tūhoe tribal lands,” says Curator Nigell Borell. “His art practice is elusive and continually shapeshifting. However, throughout his body of work Ratana has employed humour and wit to intersect and disarm loaded cultural issues about colonisation, nationhood, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and mana motuhake - Māori self-determination.’ (2)
This kete of artworks from the University of Waikato Art Collection, shares a sample of some of the broad artistic expression Ratana’s mahi toi encompasses.
References:
- Nigel Borell & Leafa Wilson, He Tangata o Te Kohu (A Man of the Mist): a retrospective exhibition on the work of Donn Ratana (Hamilton: University of Waikato, 2022), p. 1.
- Borell and Wilson, p. 4.
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Taonga | Item
Tainui Series | Donn Ratana
The University of Waikato Art Collection & Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts
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Taonga | Item
Bridge Series | Donn Ratana
The University of Waikato Art Collection & Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts
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Taonga | Item
Nau te Rourou | Donn Ratana
The University of Waikato Art Collection & Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts
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Taonga | item
Waikato River | Donn Ratana
The University of Waikato Art Collection & Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts
To see more examples of Donn Ratana's work on Kōtuia, see here.