Robert Jahnke – IAM Māori. It is coincidental that IAM an artist.
The critical question that this presentation seeks to answer is how do form, content and genealogy contribute to art that resonates with Māori?
He Tātaitanga Kaupapa Toi is a framework that identifies three distinctive criteria for Māori resonance in contemporary Māori art practice evident historically and today: Toi Tūturu (customary Māori art); Toi Whakawhiti (Trans-customary Māori art) and Toi Rerekē (Non-customary Māori art). Examples of Toi Tūturu display visual correspondence with historical models in which customary modification is minimal or absent while maintaining a mimetic relationship with customary form; Toi Whakawhiti reveals visual empathy with historical models where trans-cultural modification retains a perceptual relationship with customary form; Toi Rerekē is characterised by an absence of visual correspondence and empathy because trans-cultural modification obscures any perceptual relationship to customary form.
The aim of the presentation is to demonstrate how Māori artists engage in the three criteria for Māori resonance (Toi Tūturu, Toi Whakawhiti and Toi Rerekē) within their respective practices.
Professor Robert Jahnke ONZM FRSNZ
Biography
Robert Hans George Jahnke ONZM FRNZ (Ngāi Taharora, Te Whānau a Iritekura, Te Whānau a Rakairoa o Ngāti Porou), born in New Zealand in 1951, is a pioneering Māori artist recognized for his groundbreaking work in contemporary sculpture and mixed media.
His art delves into the complexities of identity, cultural heritage, and the interplay between Māori and European colonisers, with a particular focus on the influence of Christianity on Māori culture. Through his innovative approach, Jahnke reinterprets customary narratives and highlights the politics of identity and intercultural exchange.
Raised in Waipiro Bay on the East Coast of New Zealand, Jahnke pursued his artistic education at the Elam School of Fine Arts, earning a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts. He furthered his studies with a Master’s in Experimental Animation from the California Institute of the Arts.
A trailblazer in Māori art education, Jahnke played a crucial role in founding Toioho ki Āpiti, the Māori Visual Arts program at Massey University, in 1995. His contributions to Māori art and education were recognized in 2018 when he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM).
Today, Jahnke is celebrated as one of New Zealand’s leading contemporary Māori artists. He continues to shape the future of Māori visual arts as a professor at Massey University, where his legacy in fostering new generations of artists remains profound.