Callum Robertson

1975, Titirangi, Waitakere, Auckland, New Zealand



Callum Robertson, born in New Zealand in 1975, in Titirangi, Waitakere, in the west of Auckland. In 1996 after studying at the Auckland Institute of Technology he moved to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here he studied under the tutelage of established Scottish artist Helga Chart. Robertson then complimented his apprentiship travelling though the Pacific Islands and learning traditional Polynesian art techniques such as Tapa (Bark Cloth) making and traditional dying methods. The art of the region has heavily influenced Robertsons work, incorporating traditional symbols and materials into his works

Robertson's paintings are an explosion of Polynesian colour and design, drawing directly on the cultural influences of his birthplace of New Zealand (Aotearoa).

Robertson grew up in Auckland, home to the largest and most mixed population of Polynesian races (including Tongan, Samoan, and Maori). Inspired by the cultural and social diversity of the island races in his home town, Robertson brings together diverse Polynesian motifs and media (paperbark, hessian, wood), onto canvas with pop sensibility to create his unique pieces. Paris Voice October 2001

In Polynesia...