Steve Gibbs

 

 

Aronga Toi:  Ringa Toi, Whakairo

Iwi: Ngāti Porou

 

Kaupapa:

Joshua Campbell is an artist based in Foxton. Joshua studied a Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts at Whiti o Rehua, Massey University in Palmerston North, during which time he was mentored by artist Robert (Bob) Jahnke (Ngāti Porou). They worked on several projects and commissions together, most notably their collaborative piece ‘Tāwhirowhiro’, a sculptural installation exhibited at the ‘Headland Sculpture on the Gulf’ event in 2015. 

‘Tāwhirowhiro’ consisted of a large-scale, carbon-charred, wooden spinning top engraved with rhythmic curvilinear whorls of kōwhaiwhai, displayed upon a steel platform. This piece provided an incredible insight into Joshua’s specialty, creating unique three-dimensional works.

He is best known for his unique sculptural relief paintings and innate design sensibility for kōwhaiwhai. Often made from acrylic and MDF, these materials are laser-cut to form fluid lines of contemporary kōwhaiwhai, a distinctive style that Joshua has continually refined over time.    

 

In his most recent work, ‘Ko Papatūānuku e takoto nei’, Joshua flips the perspective by centring the star Puanga as a living observer, repositioning the viewer to consider the perspective of Puanga from high above, gazing down upon the beauty of Papatūānuku. This piece serves as a gentle reminder to imagine the world beyond the confines of our sole viewpoint. We often observe Te Taiao, but how often do we consider ourselves being observed by Te Taiao too?