Still Māori and Comely

Artwork

CreatorKahukiwa, RobynNameStill Māori and ComelyDate Made1993Medium DescriptionOil on canvasObject NumberLU140Dimensions1940 x 1990 mm (actual)Credit LineBought by the Lincoln University Art Committee to commemorate the Centenary of Women's Suffrage 1993.Further informationThis work references postcards of unidentified Māori women photographed by British and American photographers during the late 1800s as objects of ‘native exotica’. From the series Pakeha & Co, the work is a statement about loss of identity through the process of colonisation. The identities of the women originally photographed are unknown. The title is a variant on the wording from one of the photographs – ‘Black but Comely’.

Robyn Kahukiwa (1938-2025) (Ngāti Porou) is a well-known artist and award-winning children’s book writer and illustrator. Her work investigates the themes of colonisation, dispossession of indigenous people, motherhood and mythology. Examples of her work are held in major museum collections worldwide.
Artwork CopyrightAll rights reservedArt CollectionLincoln University Art CollectionKeywordsMāoriFigures | tāngataBiculturalismLand | whenua

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Still Māori and Comely

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