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Kiss The Baby Goodbye

Explore Michael Parekowhai's captivating sculptures & photography! Known for blending Māori heritage, pop culture & high art, his works challenge notions of originality & ownership. See notable pieces like 'The English Channel'.

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Total Price

$ 263

reproduction

Kiss The Baby Goodbye

Reproduction Medium

Reproduction Size

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Total Price

$ 263

The smooth powder-coated surface of Michael Parekowhai’s Kiss the Baby Goodbye disguises its layers of densely packed meaning. With tongue in cheek, Parekowhai has appropriated Gordon Walters’s classic 1969 painting Kahukura. He transforms Walters’s coolly modernist painting into a sculpture resembling an oversized child’s toy – a plastic kitset model with snap out, glue together components.Parekowhai’s barbed homage refers in part to the debate surrounding Walters’s appropriation of the koru, a traditional Māori art form. Walters, a New Zealander of European ancestry, made his signature works of the 1960s and 1970s with a stripped-back version of the traditional koru – a move that has been seen by some as divesting the koru of its cultural significance. Parekowhai is of European and Māori descent, but his work neither prosecutes or defends Walters’s use of the koru. Instead, he appropriates the appropriation. Kiss the Baby Goodbye’s industrial finish, with its connotations of assembly line production, further unsettles any distinction between what is authentic and what is borrowed.Walters’s paintings create a play of positive and negative space, with light and dark graphic elements curving into and forming each other. Of course, in Parekowhai’s sculptural version these interlocking dark and light elements become actual solids and voids. While the ‘kitset’ format seems to invite us to snap the koru components out of their frame and build something new – do-it-yourself sculpture – this would cause the negative space to disappear and the tension and balance of the composition to be lost. Ambiguous, mischievious and subversive, Parekowhai’s work dismantles easy categories and simple oppositions, opening a field of play.See more detail about this artwork

Artist Biography

Michael Parekowhai: Bridging Tradition and Innovation

Michael Te Rakato Parekōwhai (born Porirua, New Zealand, 1968) stands as a pivotal figure in contemporary Māori art and sculpture. His artistic journey is marked by a profound engagement with both ancestral heritage and global cultural dialogues—a synthesis that distinguishes his work from many of its peers and cements his place within the broader landscape of New Zealand’s creative vanguard. Descended from Ngāriki rotoawe and Ngāti whakarongo lineages, Parekowhai's upbringing instilled in him a deep connection to Māori culture and spirituality, which subsequently informs his artistic explorations. His mother, a pākehā (European), introduced him to Western art traditions, fostering a multifaceted perspective that fuels his creative process.

Early Influences & Artistic Formation

Parekowhai’s formative years were shaped by exposure to Māori storytelling and whakapapa—the genealogical framework underpinning Māori worldview—combined with an immersion in the visual language of pop culture. These seemingly disparate influences converge within his artistic practice, resulting in sculptures that grapple with concepts of translation, appropriation, and the negotiation between indigenous knowledge and global aesthetics. Studying at Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland provided him with a rigorous grounding in sculptural techniques and conceptual frameworks, equipping him for the ambitious projects that would define his career. The encouragement of mentors like Professor Ian Weddell undoubtedly contributed to his artistic development.

Sculptural Technique & Conceptual Vision

Parekowhai’s sculptures are characterized by their distinctive glossy finish—a technique he pioneered and refined—which creates an illusionistic surface that disrupts conventional notions of materiality. This deliberate choice reflects a broader preoccupation with challenging established hierarchies within art history, questioning the distinction between “high” art and vernacular culture. He frequently employs materials such as resin and fiberglass, manipulating them to achieve sculptural forms that are simultaneously monumental and subtly unsettling. His works often incorporate imagery drawn from Māori mythology and folklore, reimagined through contemporary visual vocabularies—a process he describes as "cultural translation."

Notable Achievements & Recognition

Parekowhai’s artistic reputation ascended rapidly following his award win at the Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate Award in 2001. This accolade acknowledged his commitment to exploring themes of identity and cultural heritage within a global context. His participation in the Venice Biennale in 2011 garnered international acclaim, showcasing “The English Channel”—a striking sculptural installation that utilizes resin to depict the seabed beneath the Thames Estuary—and cementing his status as one of New Zealand’s most prominent artists. The piece powerfully embodies Parekowhai's core artistic vision: a confrontation with history and an interrogation of notions of originality.

Legacy & Continuing Relevance

Michael Parekowhai continues to produce innovative sculptural works that engage with pressing social and political concerns, reflecting the ongoing dialogue between Māori culture and contemporary art practice. His work serves as a testament to the transformative potential of artistic experimentation—a willingness to push boundaries and reimagine familiar tropes—and reinforces his enduring contribution to New Zealand’s cultural heritage. He remains an influential voice within the academic realm, fostering critical discussions about representation and artistic responsibility.
michael te rakato parekōwhai

michael te rakato parekōwhai

1968 - , New Zealand

Quick Facts

  • Artistic Movement Or Style: Contemporary sculpture
  • Date Of Birth: 1968
  • Full Name: Michael Te Rakato Parekōwhai
  • Nationality: New Zealander
  • Notable Artworks:
    • The English Channel
    • Kiss The Baby Goodbye
  • Place Of Birth: Porirua, New Zealand
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