Contemporary Maori Art

Manos Nathan

Manos Nathan has long been considered one of New Zealand’s leading clay artists. Many of his recent works combine the exquisite lines of his mother’s Greek culture and his father’s Maori Culture. His work is immaculately constructed and designed.

"In my efforts to create an identity for works in clay, I have adapted design and symbolism from the customary art forms of wood, stone and bone carving; from ta moko and from the fibre arts of ta niko and tukutuku. I have also drawn on the rich heritage of allegory and metaphor found in pakiwaitara, purakau and pepeha (folklore, myths/legends and proverbs) as a source of inspiration for the creation of Maori clayworks."

Nathan has exhibited extensively both in New Zealand and overseas and his works are found in a number of public and private collections worldwide including the British Museum, Museum of Scotland, Burke Museum, Seattle, USA, Japan and Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington.