TRADED NOT FADED

ORA Gallery Wellington hosted TRADED NOT FADED opening on Thursday October 29th 2020. A solo exhibition featuring new work by Paora Tiatoa. The works in this show have been made possible, in part, with a grant awarded to Paora by Creative New Zealand in April 2020. Paora has combined his own inimitable style of multi-pass ‘ACMA’ (Abstract Contemporary Māori Art) hand screenprinting together with his own inkjet prints to create a process that he’s coined ‘Jetscreens’.
“My main source of inspiration is from ‘Taonga Maori’ book that was published by the British Museum about artifacts that had been traded and are currently stored there."
"I make The Taonga into characters, I bring them to life, give them energy and personality, and create a humorous fusion of them and my own life experiences."
"I held myself at a distance from things Māori for many years. My upbringing was dysfunctional and I am a relatively late starter to the art world. However, the process of making art has opened up my mind and heart and learning about colonisation through my art practice has helped me to explore my relationship with Māori Culture on a deeper level."