Ngā Kaihanga Uku: Māori Clay Artists

Clayworking and pottery firing is an ancient Pacific practice, but the knowledge of this tradition had largely been lost by the ancestors of Māori before they arrived in Aotearoa. Since the formation of the national clayworkers’ collective Ngā Kaihanga Uku in 1987, the group has stoked the fires of this practice, traditional ancestral knowledge and customs to shape a contemporary Māori expression in clay. Written by artist and founding member Baye Riddell, this book chronicles the origins, loss, and revival of Māori clay work. Accompanied by stunning photography, Riddell presents the practices of the five founders of Ngā Kaihanga Uku and surveys the work of the next generation. Celebrating the revival and mana of this art form, Ngā Kaihanga Uku is a must-read addition to the discourse on contemporary Māori art in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

25.5 x 21.5 x 2.4cm
hardcover  
256 pages
ISBN 978-0-9951384-5-2