Page 270 - Constructing Craft

Owen Mapp had his supporters such as Grant Finch, but he also had his critics and
he had to defend his use of Māori design on numerous occasions He developed a

response that suggested that the use of Māori motifs was a natural progression for
craft in a multicultural society. Describing his ancestry as ‘Viking’, he maintained

that he was: ‘a New Zealander and grew up in a mixed culture, consequently my
influences are part Maori whether deliberately or subconsciously. My interest in my

Viking background remains, but it’s the Maori cultural environment which is the

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strongest influence at present.’ He also argued that his work, in a similar fashion
to Māori craft, looked to nature for design influence. He believed that the spirals and

curves that dominated Maori carving were a natural and logical way of decorating

bone and that many cultures used decoration in a similar way.

Owen Mapp. Combining Māori and Pākehā design and reflecting nature.
Photo: Grant Finch.

Constructing Craft