Toi Te Mana

He toi whakairo, he mana tangata.Through artistic excellence, there is human dignity. Toi Te Mana is a landmark account of Maori art from the time of the tupuna (ancestors) to the present day. In 600 pages and over 500 extraordinary images, this volume invites readers to climb on to the waka for a remarkable voyage - from ancestral weavers to contemporary artists at the Venice Biennale, from whare whakairo to film, and from Te Puea Herangi to Michael Parekowhai. The Authors explore a wide field of art practice: raranga (plaiting), whatu (weaving), moko (tattoo), whakairo (carving), rakai (jewellery), kakahu (textiles), whare (architecture), toi whenua (rock art), painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics, installation art, digital media and film. And they do so over a long time period - from the arrival of Pacific voyagers 800 years ago to contemporary artists in Aotearoa and around the world today. Through wide-ranging chapters alongside focused breakout boxes on individual artists, movements and events, Toi Te Mana is a waka eke noa - an essential book for anyone interested in te ao Maori. Toi Te Mana is a Maori art history, written by Maori, given to the world. Toitu te whenua, toitu te tikanga, ka ora nga toi. When we hold fast to our land and values, our art flourishes.

'Toi Te Mana is an outstandingpublication that brings to fruition the work of two exceptional Maori scholarsand their visionary collaborator, the late Maori art historian JonathanMane-Wheoki. The book is not only a landmark in Maori art history, itchallenges us to reconceive the entire narrative of art and modernity from theperspective of Indigenous cultures worldwide.' - Peter Brunt, Te Herenga Waka VictoriaUniversity of Wellington

'This book is a comprehensive analysis that sets out to recalibrate thehistory of Maori art by rebalancing the gaps andEurocentric focus of earlier writing. The format, with key chapters (kete) interspersed with breakout boxesfocusing on specific artists and events, drives the kaupapa of the book forward, reinforcing a broadlychronological framework that nevertheless emphasises non-linearity, dynamismand change. The deployment of ancestralstories, chants and whakatauki to introduce chapters and sections draws together multiple strands to create a richly layered and relational landscape(whakapapa) for Maori arts. Ka mau te wehi! An outstanding contribution toMaori culture, arts and creativity - it is a great read.' - Maia Nuku(Ngai Tai), Curator Arts of Oceania, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

'ToiTe Mana is a bold and ambitious endeavour by our most experienced Maori arthistorians responding to a desperate need in Aotearoa New Zealand arteducation. A historical atlas encompassing the spectrum of Maori creativity,this work will certainly become a standard text of Maori art history andcontribute to the global discourse on indigenous art histories in which Maorialready hold a strong and distinctive position.' - Anna-Marie White (Te Atiawa), Toi MaoriAotearoa

'Toi Te Mana is a historic and groundbreaking text. It is an invaluable tool for Indigenousarts globally, and represents "best practice" in the field. The research andfindings will be central to those of my generation and our students as we craftan Indigenous art history.' - Professor Nancy Mithlo, Gender Studies, UCLA, LosAngeles

'Toi Te Manais a historic and groundbreaking text. The research andfindings will be central to those of my generation and our students as we craftan Indigenous art history.' - Professor Nancy Mithlo, Gender Studies,UCLA, Los Angeles

'Toi Te Mana is a cultural feat ruminating on the luxuriousdepth and breadth of Maori art. From waka to painting to bodies, Brown, Ellisand Mane-Wheoki expertly fill each kete with insights, histories and analysis.This is a one-in-a-generation book.' - Lana Lopesi,University of Oregon

'This book provides an Indigenous account of Maoriart, authored by Maori art historians, employing art historical methods, whilehighlighting its status as one of the foremost global art traditions. Theauthors hold considerable esteem in our field, which is reflected in theoriginality and irrefutable scholarship of their work. Remarkably, they haveintegrated myriad aspects of whakapapa, generations of ancestral history, andworldwide collections into a unified and meticulously researched and referencedbook. The work is admirable in every respect.' - Jennifer J. Wagelie, Director of CulturalDevelopment and Equity Initiatives, California State University, Sacramento

NgarinoEllis(Ngapuhi, Ngati Porou) is an associate professor in art history at WaipapaTaumata Rau University of Auckland. Her monograph A Whakapapa of Tradition: 100Years of Ngati Porou Carving, 1830-1930 (Auckland University Press, 2016) won several awardsincluding the Judith Binney Best First Book at the Ockham New Zealand BookAwards and Best Maori Art Book at the Nga Kupu Ora Awards: Celebrating MaoriBooks and Journalism, 2017. She co-edited Te Puna: Maori Art from Te TaiTokerau / Northland (Reed, 2007) with Deidre Brown, and Te Ata: MaoriArt from the East Coast, New Zealand (Reed, 2002) with Witi Ihimaera.Ngarino has also collaborated as a curator, including Whakawhanaungatanga:Connecting People and Taonga (Linden Museum, Stuttgart, 2022-24) withDougal Austin, Awhina Tamarapa and Justine Treadwell, and Purangiaho: SeeingClearly (Auckland Art Gallery, 2001) with Ngahiraka Mason and Kahutoi TeKanawa. She has published on many aspects of Maori art history including moko,adornment, art crime and gender.

Deidre Brown (Ngapuhi, Ngati Kahu) is a Maori art andarchitectural historian and professor of architecture at Waipapa Taumata RauUniversity of Auckland. Her books include Maori Architecture: From Fale to Wharenuiand Beyond (Raupo, 2009; Nga Kupu Ora award winner and New Zealand PostBook Awards finalist), Introducing Maori Art (Reed, 2005), TaiTokerau Whakairo Rakau: Northland Maori Wood Carving (Reed, 2003; NZSA BestFirst Book at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards), Te Puna: Maori Art from TeTai Tokerau / Northland (Reed, 2007) with Ngarino Ellis, the multi-authoredArt in Oceania: A New History (Thames & Hudson, 2012; Art Book Prizefor best English language art book) and A New Zealand Book of Beasts:Animals in Our Culture, History andEveryday Life (AucklandUniversity Press, 2013). She has curated several exhibitions and is a formerGovernor of the Arts Foundation of New Zealand. Deidre is a Fellow of the RoyalSociety of New Zealand Te Aparangi and a 2023 Te Kahui Whaihanga New ZealandInstitute of Architects Gold Medallist - the Institute's highest award.

JonathanMane-Wheoki CNZM (1943-2014;Ngapuhi, Te Aupouri, Ngati Kuri) was an art historian specialising in Maori,New Zealand and European art. His academic career began at the University ofCanterbury and included serving as Dean of Music and Fine Arts. In 2004, hebecame the Director of Art and Collection Services at Te Papa Tongarewa Museumof New Zealand. Five years later, he was appointed Professor and Head of theElam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland. Notable service rolesincluded being a Governor of the Arts Foundation of New Zealand and member ofTe Waka Toi, the Arts Council of Creative New Zealand, International Council ofthe Centre Culturel Jean-Marie Tjibaou and the Marsden Fund Council. Jonathanreceived an honorary LittD from the University of Canterbury in 2008 and theRoyal Society of New Zealand Te Aparangi's Pou Aronui Award in 2012 and wasmade a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2014 for services to thearts.

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