Artist Profile:

Charlotte Graham
(Pare Waikato, Pare Hauraki, Ngāti Kotimana)

Charlotte Graham is one of New Zealand’s interdisciplinary artist’s. Known as a conceptual Māori artist, she is mana whenua mandated by her iwi. Graham confidently tests different materials to engage in indigenous dialogue. Her work has addressed social, cultural and political issues for more than twenty years now. This consistent concern for the social, political and Anthropocene are often the spring for new work.

Graham’s recent installation exhibition Te Hau Whakaora 2020, part of the satellite exhibition Toi Tu, Toi Ora paid homage to the winds and healing. She was also commissioned by Toi O Tamaki to design the Creative Learning Centre for the Toi Tu, Toi Ora exhibition. In 2018, she produced a mammoth ground installation series of droplets for multi-scale vinyl reproduction. The work received a print award.

In 2015, Graham’s Solo’s Waikawa and Kaitiaki thrust a microscopic lens onto issues and the impacts that ocean acidification have on her tribal waters, lands and sea’s. Her experience and expertise in the arts see her speak regularly at public/ private art events, conferences, environmental panels, attending multiple indigenous artists gatherings and leading workshops nationally and internationally.

She has featured in numerous exhibitions throughout New Zealand with venues including the Sarjeant Gallery, Manawatu Museum and the Dowse Museum. She has also exhibited internationally including Te Tataitanga at the Southwest School of Art and Craft, San Antonio, Texas and APT8 with the Savage Klub at the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane and travelled to Waimea, Hawaii to exhibit and participate in the Indigenous Artists Gathering.

In Early 2017, Graham travelled by invitation of Toi o Tamaki (The Auckland Art Gallery and Creative NZ) to Chile to undertake a full month-long residency working closely with Chilean scientists, educators and two other international artists in the Bosque Puheun forest, Southern Chile.

On top of Graham’s personal commitment as an artist advocate for environmental issues, she is also an artist advocate for the Kauri Project. Her teaching background affords her the skills to develop artworks that are educational and collaboratively driven to help raise awareness to the subject. The Kauri project addresses Kauri dieback and she works alongside scientists, educators and other artist’s to raise public awareness of this deadly disease. Thus, adding to a strong body of work that proves that art is important to our society.

Graham’s works can be found in many public and private collections, including The Auckland Art Gallery, The Chartwell Collection, The James Wallace Arts Trust, Rt Jim Anderton Collection, The Auckland City Council Collection and numerous universities nationally and abroad.  She has worked with the council on numerous projects and was awarded a Creative Communities award for the Onehunga Library mural. Graham is currently an arts educator in a Maori forensic psychiatric unit. She has four children and lives in Auckland.