Michael parekowhai biography

Michael Te Rakato Parekōwhai (born 1968) is a New Zealand sculptor and a professor at the University of Auckland's Elam School of Fine Arts.
Gender: Male ; Biography: Born in Porirua, Michael Parekōwhai is one of New Zealand's most important contemporary artists.
Michael Te Rakato Parekōwhai is a New Zealand sculptor and a professor at the University of Auckland's Elam School of Fine Arts.

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How influential artist Michael Parekowhai is transforming Te Papa

For almost 30 years, Michael Parekowhai has been one of New Zealand’s most influential artists. In a rare interview, he opens up about his work, the trauma of loss, and how he — with a little help from Marcel Duchamp — is transforming Te Papa.

On a stinking hot Saturday in late January, Michael Parekowhai makes coffee in the kitchen of his Henderson studio. He feeds three pods into the machine rapid fire, pop-pop-pop, puts the cup in front of me, then bangs a bowl of fridge-cold watermelon down on the table.

He’s dressed for the humidity: black singlet, grey sweatshorts and Allbirds sneakers the colour of a spearmint milkshake, his thick black hair held back by tortoiseshell sunglasses. He turns 50 this year, but has a shapeshifting ability to look, if not ageless, disconcertingly unplaceable.

“Making art is like smoking,” he says, as he joins me at the table. “It’s a bad hobby, it costs too much, and it’s bad for your health.”

Parekowhai loves a good one-liner. But despite being arguably New Zealand’s

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Sculptor, 1987

Ngā Ariki/Ngāti Whakarongo

Michael Te Rakato Parekowhai is a Maori New Zealand sculptor, born in Petone, 13th May 1968. Parekowhai is well known internationally for many of his sculptures and creations. His artwork. His artwork showing a mixture of sculptures and photography. Parekowhai shows his cultural background and upbringing in most of his pieces. The artist works on a large scale, making sculptures as big as the eye can see. The large-scale Parekowhai works is a metaphor for art the sculpture says. Parekowhai work has been known for over two decades expanding the human knowledge through his art in a way that is simply taupua

One of his most popular pieces are “Ten Guitars” inspired by the classic Maori trademarks the guitar and waiata that are created using this instrument. One of the hit songs “ten guitars” was also the key inspiration for this piece. By placing 10 guitars in a certain position then photographing it a specific way. Like many of his sculptures creates a very strong image and powerful meaning behind it all.

Parekowhai grew up attending

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Selected Solo Exhibitions

Selected Group Exhibitions

Michael Parekowhai is a New Zealander Postwar & Contemporary sculptor who was born in 1968. His work is currently being shown at multiple venues like Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu and will be on exhibit at Michael Lett (East St) in Auckland on February 12, 2025. Numerous key galleries and museums such as Institute of Modern Art (IMA) have featured Michael Parekowhai's work in the past.Michael Parekowhai's work has been offered at auction multiple times, with realized prices ranging from 377 USD to 1,441,889 USD, depending on the size and medium of the artwork. Since 2007 the record price for this artist at auction is 1,441,889 USD for A peak in Darien, sold at ART+OBJECT in 2021. In the past 12 months, his artworks have averaged 11,332 USD.Michael Parekowhai has been featured in articles for Berlin Art Link Magazine, Ocula and Art Review . The most recent article is Sharjah Biennial 16: To Carry Opens with Groundbreaking Multidisciplinary Artworks and Global Dialogues written for Art South Africa in Februa