Michael "Michel" Cliff Tuffery (born 27 May 1966) is a

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

artist of Samoan, Tahitian and Cook Islands descent. He is one of New Zealand's most well known artists and his work is held in many art collections in New Zealand and around the world.

Early life

His mother is Samoan Bula Tuffery (nee Paotonu) and his biological father was Cook Island Tahitian. His step father was Denis Tuffery, of European descent. He attended Newlands College in Wellington, and has a Diploma in Fine Arts (Hons) from the School of Fine Arts at

Otago Polytechnic Otago Polytechnic is a public Education in New Zealand#Tertiary education, New Zealand tertiary education institute, centred in Dunedin with additional campuses in Cromwell, New Zealand, Cromwell and Auckland. Otago Polytechnic provides career-f ...

(1989). He lives and works in Wellington.

Career

One of his distinctive sculptures from 1994 is the life-sized work, entitled '' Pisupo Lua Afe (Corned Beef 2000)'', which was constructed from flattened and riveted re-cycled corned beef tins. His work is shaped by his research into, and encounters with his Polynesian heritage while making use of Māori design. Many of his works explore colonialism and people's treatment of the environment. Renowned as a printmaker, painter and sculptor, Tuffery has gained national and international recognition, and has made a major contribution to New Zealand art. In 1998, Ian George curated ''Paringa Ou'', the first major exhibition of contemporary art by Cook Island artists residing in New Zealand featuring artists such as

Ani O'Neill Ani O'Neill (born 1971) is a New Zealand artist of Cook Islands, Cook Island (Ngāti Makea, Ngāti Te Tika) and Irish descent. She has been described by art historian Karen Stevenson as one of the core members of a group of artists of Pasifika ...

, Sylvia Marsters, Mahiriki Tangaroa, Michel Tuffery, Jim Vivieaere, Ian George, and Kay George, the exhibition travelled to the

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, Cook Islands National Museum, as well as

Gus Fisher Gallery Gus Fisher Gallery is a contemporary art gallery owned and operated by the University of Auckland in Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is loca ...

in Auckland, New Zealand. The exhibition was sponsored by the New Zealand High Commission. In 2010, Tuffery was part of the exhibition ''MANUIA'' with Kay George, Mahiriki Tangaroa, Jerome Sheddon, and Michael Tavioni, in American Indian Community House in New York. The exhibition was curated by Ben Bergman and was opened by former New Zealand Prime Minister, and former UNDP Programme Administrator

Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008 and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...

. In 2012, Tuffery returned to New York as part of VOLTA New York with a solo exhibition with BCA Gallery (now Bergman Gallery).

Awards

He was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to art, in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours. In 2010 he was awarded the Contemporary Pacific Art Award at the Creative New Zealand Arts Pasifka Awards, while in 2020 he received the Senior Pacific Artist Award from the same organisation.

List of works and exhibitions

Tuffery has exhibited extensively in New Zealand and internationally. *2022 ''Te Atuitanga - Between our Cloak of Stars'', Bergman Gallery, Auckland *2015 ''World War I Remembered: A Light and Sound Show'', multi-media installation with Ngataiharuru Taepa, Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, Wellington *2013 ''Made in Oceania: Tapa – Art and Social Landscapes'', Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum, Germany *2012 ''Michel Tuffery at Volta'', BCA Gallery (now Bergman Gallery), VOLTA New York, New York,

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*2012 ''First Contact'', multi-media work for the opening of the 2012 New Zealand International Arts Festival *2012 ''Siamani Samoa'', Pataka Museum and Gallery, Porirua *2012 ''50 Years of Friendship: New Zealand & Samoa'', commemorative NZ coin design issued by the

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. *2010: ''MANUIA'', BCA Gallery (now Bergman Gallery), the American Indian Community House, New York, United States of America *2003 ''Voyages'', The Lane Gallery, Auckland *2003 ''Animated Effigy'', MacKay Art Gallery, North Queensland *2002 ''Mata Mata'', Toi o Tamaki, Auckland City Art Gallery *2002 ''Diaspora - Art of the Asia Pacific'', Portfolio Gallery, Auckland *2002 ''Pasifika'', The Lane Gallery, Auckland *2001 ''Asiasi'', Jane Land Gallery, Wellington *2001 ''Out of the Blue'', Hawkes Bay Exhibitions Centre,

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*1999 ''O le Vasa Loloto ma le Laloa'', Christchurch *1999 ''Povi Lua Noumea'', and ''Faga Ofe E'a'', in collaboration with artist Patrice Kaikilekofe,

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*1998 ''Recent Works'', Portfolio Gallery, Auckland *1998 ''Paringa Ou'', Fiji Museum, Fiji *1998 ''Testing Traditions'', Aotea Centre, Auckland *1997 ''Pacific Diaries'', Hogarth Gallery,

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*1997 ''Common Ground'', Page 90 Art Gallery,

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*1996 ''7th Festival of Pacific Arts'' group exhibition,

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*1994 '' Bottled Ocean'' City Gallery Wellington and touring *1994 ''Woodcuts on Tapa'', Claybrook Gallery, Auckland *1994 ''Pisupo Lua Afe'', Wellington *1994 ''Povi Tau Vaga - The Challenge'', Wellington *1990 ''Anti Drift Net Series'', ASA Gallery,

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

*1990 '' Te Moemoea no Iotefa'', Sarjeant Art Gallery,

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*1990 ''Three Polynesian Artists'', Robert McDougall Art Gallery,

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

*1989 ''Tautai Artists'', Gallery 33 1/3 and Louise Beale Gallery, Wellington

References

External links

Artist's websiteWorks from the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa TongarewaInterview with Michael Tuffery about his project commemorating the anniversary of World War One
Standing Room Only, Radio New Zealand National, 2015 {{DEFAULTSORT:Tuffery, Michel 1966 births Living people 20th-century New Zealand sculptors 20th-century New Zealand male artists 21st-century New Zealand sculptors 21st-century New Zealand male artists New Zealand painters New Zealand people of Cook Island descent New Zealand people of French Polynesian descent New Zealand people of Samoan descent Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit Otago Polytechnic alumni People educated at Newlands College