An Introduction to the four pillars of Cook ISlands art

Banker
Mike Tavioni, the Master, owns his own Bank-the Bank of Lifetime Experiences. Willing to assist any young person to learn how to earn a living from art, Mike need only dip into his own bank to withdraw any amount of knowledge or experience in a topic ranging from painting, carving, sculpting, vaka making, screen printing, songwriting, composing, choreography, music, poetry, writing and designing through to his new venture, film making. No other local person can equal his depth of experience in the arts or has been able to master such a wide field of activity.

Builder

Ian George returned from New Zealand a full time professional artist and with his wife Kay herself an accomplished artist, established their Art Studio Gallery in Arorangi. Ian soon developed a commitment to launch Cook Islands art into the future. He became instrumental in establishing through a new curriculum, the platforms in schools to build the careers of future artists. For art to survive into the future, young minds need guidance and through the discipline they will gain, the future of Cook Islands art will be secure.

Futurist

Mahariki (Riki) Tangaroa’s artworks are instantly recognizable anywhere. A fulltime professional artist, her style is unique if not futuristic. It is style she has made her own as it is difficult to replicate. Her work has a ready market overseas and she appears ahead of her time. Her paintings are like a time traveler from the future looking back on past events but interpreting the subject matter correctly, truthfully. No assumptions, just the facts. No guess work as an Archeologist might make from old bones and pieces of pottery but the truth.

Transformer

Eruera (Ted) Nia is a fulltime professional artist with his own large exhibition gallery, the Inanui Gallery. His works are completed to high professional standards. Recently, his transformation as an artist was realized by the Curator of the National Museum of Australia. Not only was he transformed but he became the transformer. The Curator realized that Eruera had reached back over 100 years into the past to art works and brought their being forward to the present day but applying a process of transformation which ensured the works still retained traces of the past. That skill as a transformer was rewarded with the National Museum acquiring the three works. -Charles Pitt

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