Meet the artists: A celebration of local talent at 'Six of the Best' Exhibition

Meet The Artists 

The exhibition showcases the works of six remarkable artists, each with their unique style and medium. The exhibition guidelines requested each artist to contribute a minimum of two to a maximum of six of their best works, ensuring that you will be immersed in the finest creations of these local talents. Whether you are an art connoisseur or simply appreciate the beauty of artistic expression, this event is not to be missed.

Peter Matai Johnston

Peter Matai Johnston from Wharekaho. Described as a creative, textile artist, wordsmith, poet, music maker and social observer. Peter will exhibit a variety of his work. Come along and chat to Peter at the exhibition over the weekend.

Roimata Taimana

Describing himself as “an artist of sorts”. Roimata Taimata designs complex covetable graphics, is a spontaneous lyricist making songs up on the fly and a musician. Of late he’s become a dedicated Kowhatu and Whakairo (stone and wood carver). He loves his professional life as a Mental Health practitioner working side by side with distressed families and rangatahi across the Peninsula. Nothing makes him happier than the laughter of children.

Tawa Rikihana

Rik was brought up by his grandparents in Rotorua with Te Reo being his first language and Tawa his given name. For him “to fit” into school his grandmother enrolled him as Dereck unbeknown to him so that on his first day he didn't answer to it at roll call and was humiliated relentlessly by his teachers, for not knowing his own name. Added to this was the teacher’s determination to change him from a left hander to a right which came with humiliation and mockery. His view of a world of teachers and education began then. 

To know Rik is to know he is deeply philosophical, an orator, a conversationalist, a storyteller  comfortable in Te Reo and English and that he lives in two worlds simultaneously. One the ancient Maori world indelible from his childhood and the other, today's contemporary one. He’s a wanderer with few needs and to find himself he loses  himself in his empathy for others.

He began drawing seriously (with his left hand) a few years ago and continues to experiment with pastels, acrylics and, occasionally oils using vibrant bold, bright colours with deliberate markings, faithful to his emotions. This is Tawa Rikihana’s first public show although some of his work has been discovered and already hangs in a few homes in the village.

Richard Chrisp 

Richard has lived and continues to live an archetypal creative life. At twenty two he began a career in the the Department of External Affairs after completing a BA at Victoria University in Languages and moonlighting as a waiter. In the mid seventies he moved to Paris studying for a year at the Ecole des Beaux -Arts.

By the eighties he returned to New Zealand having spent years working as guide for Club Med with a French Tahitian wife. Together they created a successful intimate restaurant Wellington, which after five years they decided to part ways as they’d exhausted themselves. Richard then drove onto the Coromandel Peninsula and hasn’t left since. He is a sensitive water colourist painter with a French tilt, a little Raoul Duffy, Dubuffet and a stroke of Signac with the energy of Richard’s personality obvious in his interiors and flower paintings.

He often collaborates and exhibits with his sculptress friend Uli Christoffersen, is a bon vivant around town and passionate gardener.

Chris Charteris

Locally we know Chris as that lone wanderer searching for shells on Kuaotunu Beach ,the fisherman, the good friend, good listener, good gardener, the stone carver the sculptor whose work is visible in our reserves, his beach gazing bench in honour or notable Cliffe Herraud, his skyline work on the hill up the Waitia, his Tuia 250 work in central Whitianga town, the jeweller whose pounamu pieces are proudly owned and coveted by some of us here. But in his humble self-effacing manner his work is hugely magnified to more,and broad acclaim, commissions and appearances nationally and internationally (from Kuaotunu to Cambridge UK) with loads of Gallery and Exhibition appearances here and away. 

Charles Stuart Smith

Making his debut as an Installation Artist he is couched in a smudge of mystery and a bunch of questions. Who is Charles Stuart Smith? What will Charles Stuart Smith use to design and construct  his site specific, but temporary work for this Exhibition ?

How will he amplify the place Maori and Pasifika artists have here? How will he manage his medium and what has he chosen to create his “something" inside the space in the Kuaotunu Hall? How high, how wide,how deep, what is he commenting on? How serious will it be, how wry? His participation alongside his true whanau and mates showing his stuff as one of Six of the Best, is set to change the perception from what in his everyday life he’s linked with. That before all else, where he’s known for his extraordinarily flair with exotic, luscious ,glorious almost divine food .

Stuart Smith from Blue Ginger whose given name is Charles Stuart Smith, is our man. A chef away from his kitchen.

Exhibition Opening Details

For more information about the exhibition times and days, please visit the event listing.