Pacific Art I like

Aoraki, also known by its European name, Mount Egmont, is the tallest mountain in New Zealand; the crown jewel of the Southern Alps. As such, it occupies a status similar to Japan's Mount Fuji, being a popular motif in the country's art. This watercolour painting is one such example.

Of both Māori and European descent, Marilynn Webb is one of New Zealand's most prominent printmakers. Coastline Two showcases her stylised depictions of natural forms, drawing from both indigenous and European traditions.

The manufacture of tapa cloths, with their extravagant detailing, is a tradition shared by most Polynesian cultures. This tapa originates from Samoa, where such cloths are referred to as siapo. Like many tapa (the plural and singular are identical in Polynesian languages), it is made up of a few, highly contrasting colours, which are used to form complex geometric patterns, usually made up of rows surrounded by a border.

Produced with no formal training or practice, the outsider art movement represents a class of people outside the conventional art world. Works made by such artists can be bizarre, unconventional, but also innovative and astoundingly creative. Martin Thompson is one example. All of his works are made using graph paper, which he uses to construct intricate geometric patterns. They are always made up of two squares, one of which is the inverse of the other.

Johannes Keulemans was primarily known an illustrator for several scientific books on natural history; only later did his work receive any artistic acclaim. Three Huia, as its name suggests, shows the huia, a now-extinct species of bird native to New Zealand.

Though this piece appears to merely depict the prototypical New Zealand landscape, it actually holds more import. William Hodges was one of the members of Captain James Cook's voyage, and while he was primarily a draftsman, he also produced several paintings, including this. Consequently, Waterfall in Dusky Bay with Māori canoe is one of the first European depictions of the country's landscape. Despite the undeniable technical quality of the painting, it doesn't elicit solely positive associations: Cook's expeditions hold a controversial role in today's culture, as his landing in New Zealand signalled the start of centuries of oppression and injustice.