‘Market’ an opportunity for new generation, says Riddell

TAIRAWHITI artists have a strong presence at the country’s largest showcase for contemporary Maori art, which opened in Porirua today.
More than 30 students from the Toihoukura School of Maori Art this week travelled down to take part in the biennial Maori Art Market, principal tutor Derek Lardelli being among those who will do live ta moko (Maori tattoo) demonstrations during the event.
And Gisborne ceramic artist Baye Riddell has been an allocated a personal gallery space, acknowledging his status as current holder of the Creative New Zealand Craft/Object Fellowship.
But even while showing his own work, Riddell reiterates his support for young artists by drawing attention to the opportunities available to them.
The globalisation of Maori art through the internet and the range of computer and electronic artforms now available offered more outlets for young people today, compared to when he was a young man starting his career, Riddell said.
“Every business takes several years to become established and it requires perseverance . . . success is five percent inspi-ration and artistic ability with 95 percent perspiration,” he says.
“Young people should aim for the top by being uncompromising in producing quality and totally honest when evaluating their own work.”
With over 200 artists displaying their work, the Market has become the country’s largest gathering of contemporary Maori artists.
Riddell says this gives young and emerging artists a chance to rub shoulders with their established and internationally-renowned seniors,
“These are very exciting times for contemporary Maori art,” he said. “A measure of the Art Market’s success is that it continues to attract the support of renowned Maori and international artists, while at the same time providing a launching pad for highly talented emerging artists who consider it an honour to be invited.”
One of those relative newcomers will be Auckland-based ceramic artist Carla Ruka, who a decade ago studied at Toihoukura with the support of a Jack Richards Scholarship. For the Market she has produced a range of “angel” clay works, described as symbols of Aotearoa mythology.
“Any worthwhile art-work should show the personality, the hands, the skill, and the individual imagery of the artist creator and Carla Ruka’s pieces are self portraits of a sensitive, highly-skilled and loving young mother,” says Market creative director Darcy Nicholas.
Reinforcing Riddell’s views, Ruka said that as an emerging artist she was excited to get the chance to exhibit alongside so many talented people.
Introduced to clay while studying in Gisborne in 2000, she says she gets her inspiration and ideas from her ancestors.
“I love the journey that comes from creating my visions from Papatuanuku (‘the earth mother’),” she said. “From the earth to the creation to the firing, everything is an exciting event and you’re forever learning something new.”
Ruka has this year been working on a selection of smaller pieces, as well as the Maori “angels” she is exhibiting at the Market.
“I have always had a fascination with angels, a renowned being of serenity, perfection and peace,” she said. “A close friend would tell me beautiful stories from her home about their angels so, as a visual person, I wanted to create them.” ■ Maori Art Market 2011 will be on until October 9 at Porirua’s Pataka Museum of Art and Culture and Te Rauparaha Arena.