John Pule: Hauaga (Arrivals)

Overview

Ever walked past this beautiful black, white, red and green mural stretching across the side of the Grey Lynn Family Medical Centre on Williamson Ave and wondered who the artist was?

Well, it’s by none other than Niuean-born painter, poet and writer John Pule and he is, it’s fair to say, one of our most talented and influential contemporary Pacific artists. His latest exhibition John Pule: Hauaga (Arrivals) runs over the summer at the Auckland Art Gallery and includes some of his most important works.

His art is informed by the history and mythology of Niue, often in parallel with his experiences of growing up in Auckland and his views on colonisation and Christianity. He weaves together these elements to raise questions about cultural belonging and the nature of storytelling using his own highly distinctive style.

This exhibition surveys his career from one of its key turning points in 1991 when he travelled back to Niue and reconnected with the traditional art of hiapo (barkcloth painting). One of the highlights of the show is the inclusion of some of Pule's strongest works on paper, displaying both image and text. These demonstrate his strengths both as a poet and painter, asking to be read as well as viewed.

Over the years his work has been included in exhibitions in Europe, America, Asia and Australia. Major collections are held at the Queensland Art Gallery and as far afield as the National Gallery of Scotland. In 2004, Pule was honoured with the prestigious Laureate Award from the Arts Foundation of New Zealand.

Go along to Hauaga this summer for the chance to experience the range of Pule’s distinctive art and to be able to put his iconic mural into context.

For those that would like a deeper appreciation of his work, join Pule at the Auckland Art Gallery on Sunday 18 December at 1pm for an artist’s guide through the exhibition. After the talk, John will be signing his accompanying book in the gallery shop.