Ko Māui me te Rā nā June Melser i tuhituhi; nā Cliff Whiting kā whakaahua; nā Sonny Te Huia Wilson i whakamāori. Whanganui-a-Tara: Te Ropu Mahipukapukakura, Te Tari Matauranga, 1984.
Master carver, artist, heritage advocate and educator, Cliff Whiting (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, 1936-2017) was one of our most celebrated artists and a leading figure in the revitalisation of Māori arts in Aotearoa.
In 1955 Whiting was encouraged to attend Teachers Training College in Wellington by his mentor Mervyn Taylor. His final year was spent in Ōtepoti training to be an arts specialist under the tutelage of Gordon Tovey, who was in charge of the Arts and Crafts branch of the Department of Education. Tovey had a profound influence on his students and encouraged them to explore innovative approaches to art education.
Whiting worked for the Nelson Education Board, then lectured at Palmerston North Teachers’ College, where he helped develop the first marae on a tertiary campus, before becoming a self-employed artist and consultant.
He was appointed as the first Kaihautū of Te Papa Tongarewa in 1993 and was instrumental in the design and construction of the Museum’s contemporary marae, Rongomaraeroa. He also served as an advisor to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust and led the Trust’s programme of marae restoration.
During his career he received many awards in recognition of his work including an Honorary Doctorate of Literature by Massey University for his contribution to the university and to Māori visual culture (1996), the Order of New Zealand for services to the arts (1999), Te Tohu Tiketike a Te Waka Toi (2003) and the Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon Award for his profound impact on Aotearoa arts and culture (2013).
Whiting’s illustrations appeared in several books and journals during the 1970s and 1980s and they show early examples of the signature style that would later be incorporated into his large-scale installations.
Cliff Whiting’s works can be seen in public buildings throughout Aotearoa including the National Library, the Christchurch High Court, the visitors centre at Aoraki Mt Cook and Otago Museum.
Ko Māui me te Rā nā June Melser i tuhituhi; nā Cliff Whiting kā whakaahua; nā Sonny Te Huia Wilson i whakamāori. Whanganui-a-Tara: Te Ropu Mahipukapukakura, Te Tari Matauranga, 1984.
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