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Ioane Ioane

The Return of Manuruhi, 2015

Macrocarpa wood

According to Māori legend, Tangaroa – god of the sea in both Māori and Cook Island mythology – abducted Manuruhi, son of Ruatepupuke who had offended him, and transformed him into a wood carving to adorn his house beneaththe sea. Manuruhi’s body (Tekoteko) was eventually rescued by his father Ruatepupuke who burnt the house down and returned his son back to his own world. Symbolically this story is about the loss of one twin son and the gain of the other in the artist’s life.

Ioane Ioane

Ioane completed a Bachelor of Fine Art from Elam School of Fine Art, University of Auckland, in 1985.

In 1996 Ioane was the finalist for the Saatchi and Saatchi Art Awards and in 2005 he was awarded the Creative New Zealand Innovation and Excellence Art Award. His works are in a number of private and public collections, including the Cambridge Museum of Anthropology, England, Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, Auckland Art Gallery and Tjibaou Cultural Centre, Noumea.

Based in Auckland, Ioane’s multidiscipline practice involves sculpture, painting, installation and performance and often acknowledges the spiritual and transitional nature of space (the va) as a place of respect, transformation, birth and becoming.

The artist wishes to acknowledge Ariki Ian George for his contribution.