About 

Kia ora, how do you do - All the best for your day.

​

My full name is Arthur Matenga Thatcher. I am of Scottish and English heritage, which denotes i am of European descent. I am proud of my 2 heritages, but it is my New Zealand māori roots that i identify with, being of māori descent through my tupuna (ancestors) of Aotearoa (New Zealand).

​

My Ancestors were great sea explorers who used the stars, the sun, and the ocean currents, to navigate the South Pacific seas in search of new lands. Kupe, a great polynesian explorer discovered  Aotearoa (which means land of the long white cloud) around 1200 AD.

 

Water is a necessity to māori, we are water people. Our  ancestors had knowledge of the rivers, lakes, seas and oceans, and travelled and explored new places across the oceans. The ocean and seas are part of our nature, as it connects us with the spirituality of our sea exploring ancestors. We love to swim, fish, and gather kaimoana (food from the sea.) Water is a sustenance, that is a big part of our rongoa (health and well being) We are very hydrated maori!!.

 

Māori are also people of the whenua (land). We are proud of our connection to Papatūānuku (our mother earth) and Ranginui (our Sky Father). I believe we are spiritual people who care deeply  about the health of our Earth and Sky. To Māori, Papatūānuku is a sacred, living, breathing being, and Ranginui of the heavens, holds our ancestors, as the stars that twinkle in the night. 

​

Maori therefore are down to earth and graphical in how we see life. We are natural at using what we see in the taiao (nature and the forests and the life within) to create our own traditional art. Our tupuna (ancestors),

studied nature to create patterns and designs based on the teaming life, of the awa (rivers), the ngāhere (forests), the moana (oceans and seas). Our māori Art has developed over time, watching and studying nature and its characteristics, and transforming it to images of art. 

​

I have always based my Art on my māori culture and its traditional beginnings. Māori have a rich vain of stories about our origins as a people, not written down, but repeated word for word, from one generation to the next over time. These stories were told in waiata (song) about famous events and people that were colourful characters in our past. 

​

Character analysis :

​

Arthur Thatcher is a indigenous Māori of Aotearoa/ New Zealand. Arthur is from Tauranga Moana, with Ngai te Rangi,  Ngāti Awa, and Ngāti Porou tribal links.

Arthur is self taught and develops his design skills around bold, colourful, vibrant images. Arthur uses pencils and paper, computer, and graphics programs to create imagery with a contemporary, māori perspective. Images are entirely created from his thoughts. Abstract design and surrealism are Arthurs main creative pathways. Arthur tries to use dramatic tones that reflect presence and movement. Arthur respects his Maōri roots, the curves, the infinite paths, the uniqueness of Māori art, are themes he likes to convey, in his work.

No reira , tēnā tātou katoa.

(Written post - describing Artist painting booth- New Zealand Art Show 2009)

​