A revered artist and educator, Fred Graham is one of the most esteemed figures working in sculpture to emerge from the first generation of contemporary Māori artists in the 1950s. Whiti Te Ra (1966) is a portrayal of four figures in action. Cleverly combining simplified forms from customary carvings and the fluid markings of oil stick, he renders the action and iconic phrase from the Māori haka composed by legendary Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha from around 1820. The haka, which chants “Ka mate, ka mate” (It is death, it is death), celebrates life over death and Te Rauparaha’s lucky escape. The title Whiti Te Ra (Into the sunlight) is a positive exclamation of wellbeing and advancement. The cluster of carved works showcases Graham’s experimental beginnings by creatively giving form to concepts from Māori mythology. These include narratives about the origins of carving itself and its interrelationship with the natural world. Figures of the god Tangaroa and the guardian Tinirau, both central to the story of the origins of carving, and are depicted in a striking new visual language, embodying both continuity with Indigenous Māori knowledge and respect for the land and a rebellious new form that defies singular definition.
This is the first time the work of Fred Graham is presented at Biennale Arte.
—Natasha Conland
