June Northcroft Grant
All that I value in art terms is encompassed in the art forms manifest in the wharenui (meeting house), the whakairo (carvings), the turapa (woven panels) and the raranga (weaving).
Short Biography
Tribal Affiliations: Te Arawa, Tuwharetoa, Tuhourangi/Ngati Wahiao
"Probably the biggest factor in my decision to continue painting and making artworks is my sense of responsibility to my tribe, both to my ancestors and their art providing much of my inspiration, and to the future generations, my children and grandchildren for whom I continue the art tradition.
All that I value in art terms is encompassed in the art forms manifest in the wharenui (meeting house), the whakairo (carvings), the turapa (woven panels) and the raranga (weaving).
I feel fortunate to be living and working in my own tribal area. My references and resources are right on my doorstep, not to mention the counsel and encouragement of my Kaumatua and Kuia."
June was born in 1949. She grew up and was educated in Wairoa, Wanganui, and Rotorua. She is a direct descendant of Makereti Papakura, a well known guide of Whakarewarewa Village where thousands of tourists, in days gone by, were escorted through the wondrous scenic attractions of the area. Makereti has had a strong influence on June's life and work.
In 1989, June graduated from Waiariki Polytechnic with a Diploma in Craft Design Maori. This four-year course provided her with a good working knowledge of several art disciplines including printmaking, painting, weaving, bone-carving, carving and ceramics. In her final two years June majored in paint and fibre, culminating in a series of work based on the wharenui (meeting houses) in her tribal village, Whakarewarewa.
In 1991, June and a fellow graduate established Pohutu Prints which produces an original range of tee-shirts that are designed, printed, wholesaled and sold direct from her workshop on the periphery of Whakarewarewa Village.
"I am currently working towards two exhibitions next year (2000). The first is the "Te Ra" Celebrations at Gisborne where Te Atinga is hosting an international symposium to celebrate the first dawn of the new century. An exhibition featuring the work of Maori Women to compliment an exhibition of the Maori Battalion is planned towards the middle of the year 2000. My imagery will celebrate "Nga Mapihi Kahurangi no mamata" Ancestral Treasures of another time and place."
Selected Exhibitions
1987
Nga Mahi Harakeke. Te Whare Ta Whakaahua, Waiariki
1988
Oriori. Manawatu Art Gallery, Palmerston North
1989
Tasman Art Award. Whakatane
Aotearoa Maori Festival of Arts. Te Tii Marae, Waitangi
Ko We Kara. Noumea, New Caledonia
Te Koanga Festival of Maori Arts. Aotea Centre, Auckland
Kohia Ko Taikaka Anake. National Museum Gallery, Wellington
Heritage Exhibition. Wellington City Art Gallery, Wellington
Te Waka Toi Exhibition. Hawai'i, USA
A 'Te Hou a Rongo' My Creative Place. Te Taumata Gallery, Auckland
Contemporary Maori Art Exhibition. Linden Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
Te Atinga Contemporary Maori Art Exhibition. Waitangi Resort Hotel, Bay of Islands
Wahine Purotu. Te Taumata Gallery, Auckland
1997
Haka. Hot Baths Gallery, Bath, London, UK; New Zealand House, Haymarket, London, UK; City Art Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
1998
Kauwae. Kauwae runga is celestial lore. Kauwae raro is terrestial lore and in between the heavens and the earth is the art specifically with Kauwae - the art of women.