Responding to the Urewera Raids - Te Manawa

"This work appears to have a strong base in Tuhoe stories, but part of its success is its ability like more traditional Maori patternmaking to open out in abstraction from a strong kernel to the universal. The title comes from a beautiful Tuhoe battle whakatauki (proverb): ‘He iti na Tuhoe, e kata te po'. One interpretation is, ‘No matter how small Tuhoe are, their laughter will be heard through the night'."

Click here to read Mark Amery's excellent review of Hemi Macgregor, Saffronn Te Ratana and Ngataiharuru Taepa's collaborative work recently shown at Te Manawa in Palmerston North

Paul Dibble gifts large Huia to Palmerston North

Paul Dibble has gifted a final work to Palmerston North before he contemplates a shift up north. As stated in the Manawatu Standard, Ghost of the Huia is a 2.5m sculpture of a female Huia, in bronze, perched on a ring of Corten steel. The steel ring has a light patina of rust, which will slowly deepen as the steel weathers. Dibble created the sculpture about 10 years ago, and had promised it to the city. He felt now was the right time to have it installed, and it has been proudly positioned in The Square near The Square edge. Dibble says of the Huia, "It was a lovely bird. There's a statement here about if you want things of beauty, you have to be prepared to look after them."

Michael Smither Screenprints at Page Blackie Gallery

A gorgeous selection of Michael Smither Screenprints are now available at Page Blackie Gallery.

Michael Smither is one of New Zealand's most sought-after senior artists, renown for his iconic super-realist and highly coloured paintings and screenprints which capture a unique and often very personal view of his world.

Click here for more images

It's All About The Image - Dick Frizzell

Take a trip through New Zealand art history according to Dick Frizzell in his new book It's All About The Image. In the book Dick shines a light on some of the works he's always loved - a number of which have been over looked in the usual round-ups. From Peter McIntyre inviting him up onto the scaffolding to watch him painting the WWII mural in the Hastings War Memorial Library, through to discovering modern art at art school, his first sighting of a McCahon, teaching at Elam with talented students like Karl Maughan and discovering the exciting young things today. Written in Dick's self-proclaimed colloquial and relavatory style, this is a fascinating discussion of NZ art history.

PAUL DIBBLE - The Watchers

Paul Dibble's new exhibition "The Watchers" opens tonight at Page Blackie Gallery. Contact the Gallery for further details.