This is an exhibition not to be missed. Uku Rere is a group of five Maori Artists, Colleen Waata Urlich, Manos Nathan, Paerau Corneal, Wi Taepa and Baye Riddell. The artists are connected by their membership of Nga Kaihanga Uku the national Maori clayworkers’ association founded in 1986.
This important exhibition is the first major survey of contemporary Maori ceramics.
The back ground of each of the artists is given in the catalogue which is available for a gold coin donation, so I won’t detail it here.
Before I retired I made pottery table ware, brush decorated and reduced Lustre glazes for about 27 years. I clothed my pots with glaze, the clay merely serving to enhance the glaze. I am enchanted to see clay rather than glaze used so expressively and skilfully. The size of some of these pieces is impressive without losing the form which is all too easy when one is working big by hand building, even if one makes a drawing.
There is a lot of use made of Terra Sigillata, a Greek invention used extensively by the Romans. When burnished it gives a beautiful sheen most easily seen on Manos Nathan’s work.
I particularly enjoyed the way Colleen Waata Urlich has used white Terra Sigillata in varying thicknesses to give a variation of colour over red terracotta clay “Hine Te Iwa Iwa” “Deity of the Flax”. Colleen makes wonderful patterns which I believe are a language, but I am a Pakeha so sadly I don’t know what the language means. On the side of one of the pieces is a little figure almost like a handle. Is this the deity? Also from Colleen we have the very impressive Nikau Forms “Hine Tiri” “– Deity of the plantations”.
I enjoy the way Manos Nathan carves through parts of the work, as on the stern of a waka, with the shapes cut out resonating with that left behind. There is a beautiful dark blue “Tane Nui a Rangi” with the figure of Tane
with tiny gleaming paua shell eyes, he is just perceptible against a night sky. Manos makes a superb contrast of smooth terra sigilatta background to the matt lizard forms in “Waka Taurahere Tangata” and the colour is enhanced by the wood firing of this piece.
Paeroa Corneal’s figurative work is wonderfully expressive in the way the forms are stylised to as it were speak to us. I particularly liked “Hinemoa and Hinemoa”.
Wi Taepa invites one to let go of perfection and smoothness unless it aids expression.
I enjoyed “Ipu 1992” with the exquisite contrast between smooth lustrous terra sigilatta and the matt red clay.
Baye Riddell’s huge forms are always impressive. “Were 2012” is a wonderful floating shape and the “Arahata Stairways” invite one on a never-ending journey into the soul.
Gulielma Dowrick: Gulielma and her husband David Dowrick are long-time friends of the Tauranga Art Gallery. Gulielma has made pots for about 27 years before retiring. She has exhibited work sol as well as in several exhibitions. She has recently shown work at the Bethlehem Pottery Club Exhibition Bob Owen’s Village Bethlehem.
