Sheree Willman

New Zealand, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne

“Inspired by my culture… from the weavers of my tūpuna”

I have always loved to paint and my artworks reflect my love of colour, geometric design and my cultural heritage. I am half Māori (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne) and European, Southern Mediterranean descent.

My Māori heritage was and remains important in my life and in my art. After leaving school I studied Contemporary Māori Design at Wellington Polytechnic. It was there that I was honored to have my designs selected to decorate two frosted glass panels for the doors of the No1 Court in the new High Court building then being built in Wellington. They are still there today.

Meeting the man who would become my husband, and the subsequent arrival of my three beautiful children, meant that for long periods there was no time or space for my paint and brushes. However, I continued over the years to paint and take art classes when I could. Recently, with my children becoming independent, it has been a great privilege to have the time and space to paint full time since 2017. I live in Wellington, New Zealand.

My paintings are a reflection of my indigenous heritage that was gifted to me by my tūpuna (ancestors). As a child I loved the feeling of being inside our whare whakairo (decorated meeting house) and remember looking up to the beautiful painted kowhaiwhai panels and taking in each poupou (carved wall posts that represent ancestral figures) by touching them, but what fascinated me the most was the geometric patterns from tukutuku panels (ornamental traditional latticework) and they still do to this day, so when I started painting full time, I painted from tukutuku patterns and then this lead me to painting tāniko patterns, a uniquely Māori variation of whatu (twining) and is used to weave the colourful, intricate borders of kakahu (cloak), kete whakairo (patterned bag) and Whāriki Takapau (finely woven patterned floor mat).

I love that each pattern convey different meanings, mythology and experiences and also that they where mostly crafted by wahine (women).

I feel a strong connection through painting from my culture and is a spiritual journey for me. I’m fortunate that I can now share my journey with our people and the world.

SEE EXHIBITION ARTWORK