Shane Cotton
Encyclopedia
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Shane Cotton is a major New Zealand
painter
. Born in Upper Hutt
with Ngapuhi
iwi affiliations, he studied at the Ilam School of Fine Arts
in Christchurch
, graduating in 1988. He then lectured at Massey University
in Palmerston North
.
Following this he was the recipient of the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship
, and his work is highly sought after that. He has received the Seppelt Contemporary Art Award from Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art, and has been exhibited at many leading galleries in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in Spain and Prague.
Cotton's work evocatively includes both Maori iconography and culture, such as shrunken heads, mokomokai
, and native birds such as tui
, and European symbols and items. His paintings have explored questions of colonialism, cultural identity, Maori spirituality, and life and death.
Many of his paintings go into depth of primitive ideas especially through Maori whakapapa.
Shane Cotton is a major New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. Born in Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt is a satellite city of Wellington. It is New Zealand's smallest city by population, the second largest by land area. It is in Greater Wellington.-Geography:Upper Hutt is 30 km north-east of Wellington...
with Ngapuhi
Ngapuhi
Ngāpuhi is a Māori iwi located in the Northland region of New Zealand, and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands and Whāngārei.Ngāpuhi has the largest affiliation of any New Zealand iwi, with 122,214 people registered , and formed from 150 hapu, with 55 marae.-Foundations:The founding...
iwi affiliations, he studied at the Ilam School of Fine Arts
Ilam School of Fine Arts
The School of Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury was founded in 1882 as the Canterbury College School of Art. The school became a full department of the university in the 1950s, and was the first department to move to the suburban Ilam site in 1957, in the Okeover Homestead...
in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, graduating in 1988. He then lectured at Massey University
Massey University
Massey University is one of New Zealand's largest universities with approximately 36,000 students, 20,000 of whom are extramural students.The University has campuses in Palmerston North , Wellington and Auckland . Massey offers most of its degrees extramurally within New Zealand and internationally...
in Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
.
Following this he was the recipient of the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship
Frances Hodgkins Fellowship
The Frances Hodgkins Fellowship, established in 1962, is one of New Zealand's premier arts residencies. The list of past fellows includes many of New Zealand's most notable artists.The position is based at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand...
, and his work is highly sought after that. He has received the Seppelt Contemporary Art Award from Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art, and has been exhibited at many leading galleries in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in Spain and Prague.
Cotton's work evocatively includes both Maori iconography and culture, such as shrunken heads, mokomokai
Mokomokai
Mokomokai are the preserved heads of Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, where the faces have been decorated by tā moko tattooing. They became valuable trade items during the Musket Wars of the early 19th century.-Moko:...
, and native birds such as tui
Tui (bird)
The tui is an endemic passerine bird of New Zealand. It is one of the largest members of the diverse honeyeater family....
, and European symbols and items. His paintings have explored questions of colonialism, cultural identity, Maori spirituality, and life and death.
Many of his paintings go into depth of primitive ideas especially through Maori whakapapa.