He Tangata o Te Kohu (A Man of the Mist)

A retrospective exhibition of the sculptural work of Donn Ratana (b. 1947) Ngāi Tūhoe/ Ngāti Haka [Patuheuheu]/ Tamakaimoana [Maungapōhatu]/ Ngāti Raka [Waimana]/ Ngāti Rongo [Ruātoki]. Curated by Leafa Wilson.

Donn Ratana is, he tangata o te kohu, a man of the mist. He emerges from the ancestral Tūhoe mists which define the Urewera Ranges and gives agency to his artistic inquiry. The depictions of his early life to the socio-political provocations of his paintings and sculptural works emerge from a Tūhoe mind. Living in the midst of the mists that weave throughout the bridges of Kirikiriroa, he has created a lifetime of art through his own works and in the influence, he provided as the parent of two renowned artists: Saffron Te Ratana and Aimee Ratana. Beyond that still, as an art education specialist, training two generations of teacher trainees at the University of Waikato Te Whare Wananga o Waikato.

Opening Preview: From 4.30pm - 6.30pm, Thursday 17 November 2022 

Exhibition Runs: 17 November 2022 - January 2023

Photo: Detail of No Deposit, Interest-Free, Pay Later, Once caught, Hard to get out Metal, netting, cable ties, 2006/2022