Author(s): Damian Skinner

Fine Art

Kowhaiwhai, according to John Hovell, is about process, a shorthand summary of the passage of life, and a space within the whare whakairo (decorated meeting house) for the Maori artist to express his wry and droll view of human nature. This book looks at John Hovell's life and work, his ongoing interest in kowhaiwhai, and locates him within a larger story of Maori art. From the mid-1960s, Hovell was part of the contemporary Maori art movement, exhibiting his paintings alongside artists such as Paratene Matchitt and Sandy Adsett, and taking part in the activities of organisations such as the Maori Artists and Writers Society. Since the mid-1980s Hovell has been designing and producing kowhaiwhai and murals for marae projects in Auckland, the Coromandel peninsula and the East Coast. He has established a reputation as a kowhaiwhai artist of note, working alongside tohunga whakairo (carving experts) such as Pakiriki Harrison. Richly illustrated with over 100 colour images of Hovell's painting and kowhaiwhai projects, this book demonstrates that Hovell is an important artist who has made a substantial contribution to contemporary Maori visual culture.