Kevin Stent/Stuff
Star Gossage, pictured in front of his work Pah Paintings 1-4, at the National Portrait Gallery in Wellington. The works were purchased exclusively by the Waikato Museum, in partnership with the Waikato Trust.
A quartet of paintings by one of New Zealand’s leading Māori artists, now on display at the Waikato Museum as part of a traveling exhibition, will remain in Hamilton.
Pah Paintings 1 – 4 by Star Gossage (Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Ruanui), a colorful artwork consisting of four large oil paintings, was acquired by the museum with funding from a strategic partnership with the Waikato Trust.
“This purchase, for Hamilton’s benefit at no cost to rate payers, would have been impossible without the generosity of the Waikato Trust,” said museum director Liz Cotton.
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“The work is a stunning example of Star Gossage’s excellence in technique and content, and will further enhance the Museum’s collection. This is a great opportunity to reiterate our commitment to elevating the artistic skills of Māori women-and women in general-within the collection. ”
Born in Otorohanga in 1973 and now based in Paakiri, Gossage is famous for its emotional and provocative paintings. His work is held in several private and public collections including Auckland Art Gallery Toi or Tamaki, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, James Wallace Arts Trust, and Auckland University.
His use of portraits and figures in the landscape combines the European art traditions of expressionism and impressionism with the view that people are bound by spirit, land, genealogy and family-spirit, land, ancestor and family. .
Trust Waikato chief executive Dennis Turton said the paintings would especially find their home in the museum.
“We are excited that the work of a locally born Māori artist has been added to enrich the collection and we are pleased that Trust Waikato funding is helping to preserve such artworks in the region for all to enjoy.”
The trust donated its art and people collection to Hamilton in 2015 and continues to contribute funds to grow the collection and preserve or bring significant artworks to the region.
Pah Paintings 1 – 4 is currently on display at the Waikato Museum as part of Star Gossage: The People, covering 20 years of Gossage’s artistic work and became a nationwide tour from NZ Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata.
Hamilton is the last stop for the exhibition, which is open until Sunday, July 17th.
