Owen Thomas Mapp (born 1945) is a New Zealand carver who works primarily in bone.
Biography
Born on a farm outside
Blenheim in 1945,
Mapp was educated at
Nelson College
Nelson College is the oldest state secondary school in New Zealand, a feat achieved in part thanks to its original inception as a private school. It is an all-boys school in the City of Nelson that teaches from years 9 to 13. In addition, it r ...
from 1960 to 1963. He started working in museums while at high school and developed a strong interest in archaeology.
He also worked early in his career as a designer for film and television.
Mapp began carving with whale ivory, whale bone and cow bone in 1969.
He became the first contemporary professional bone carver in New Zealand.
[
] His first exhibition was at Wellington's Bett-Duncan Gallery in 1972.
At this time he also became involved with the New Zealand chapter of the
World Craft Council (later the Craft Council of New Zealand) and the
New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts
The New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts (also referred to as the Wellington Art Society) was founded in Wellington in July 1882 as The Fine Arts Association of New Zealand. Founding artists included painters William Beetham (first president of the As ...
which helped him promote his work and through which he also organised workshops to demonstrate bone carving.
In 1990, he received a QEII Arts Council (now
Creative New Zealand
The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa (Creative New Zealand) is the national arts development agency of the New Zealand government established in 1963. It invests in artists and arts organisations, offering capability building programmes a ...
) study grant and established a connection with Japanese netsuke carvers.
He continues to exhibit in Japan and his work has been acquired by the Japanese royal family.
Mapp tutors at
Whitireia New Zealand
Whitireia New Zealand, previously called Whitireia Community Polytechnic and Parumoana Community College (Māori language, Māori: Te Kura Matatini o Whitireia) is a subsidiary of Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology ...
in the Visual Arts and Design programme.
In his survey of three-dimensional arts in New Zealand in 1980, Peter Cape wrote, 'Mapp prefers to think of the items he carves in bone and ivory as handpieces or, as he says, 'three-dimensional sculptures to be worn on the body or carried in the pocket, to be held, fondled, and not just looked art'.'
Personal life
Mapp has two daughters with his partner potter
Anneke Borren.
References
Further reading
* Damian Skinner and Kevin Murray, 'Place and adornment : a history of contemporary jewellery in Australia and New Zealand', Honolulu : University of Hawaiʻi Press, 2014.
External links
Owen Mappin the collection of the
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. Usually known as Te Papa ( Māori for ' the treasure box'), it opened in 1998 after the merging of the National Museum of New Zealand ...
1945 births
New Zealand artists
New Zealand carvers
New Zealand jewellers
Living people
People educated at Nelson College
Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Bone carvings
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