I was born and grew up in 1950s-70s Christchurch, New Zealand/Aotearoa and I was surrounded by the dominant European culture with little exposure to Maori society and only superficial glimpses of the art or "Toi". Later, when looking at local indigenous motifs, I couldn't help noticing their similarity to the Minoan and Greek pottery motifs that I was familiar with from High School art class and Art History 101 and personal study. It's not surprising as both were sea going peoples and encountered the same or similar shapes and forms and had access to the same or similar white clay, black soot and red ochre pigments. Personally I believe that art shows that all the peoples of this world have more in common than not and art can celebrate both our individuality and our oneness.
The erastes-eromenos relationships of Nisus and Euryalus and that of Aeneas and Pallas provides an example of the kind of love where two souls are eternally bound and connected on a deeper level than physical attraction.
"A civilized world is one where nothing is taboo"– Socrates
2021 Signed limited edition of 5 29 x 29cm
Pigment ink print on Hahnemuhle etching paper.