Wayne Youle

Born 1974 in Porirua, New Zealand. Lives and works in Amberley, New Zealand. Holds a Bachelor of Design from the Wellington Polytechnic School of Design (1999). Recipient of the 2010 Rita Angus Residency.

Wayne Youle (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Whakeeke, Ngāti Pākehā) is well established as one of New Zealand's pre-eminent Maori artists. A versatile and prolific artist, Youle has produced an impressive and remarkably varied body of work in the last decade, which has attracted considerable critical acclaim. Dubbed a 'Cultural Prankster' by leading art writer Warwick Brown in Seen This Century, Youle's diverse works can be linked by one factor - his sense of humour.

Wayne's bicultural heritage is reflected in his work, which deals with race, religion, Maori/Pakeha relationships and the place of Maori culture within New Zealand's dominant Pakeha mainstream. His art practice is distinctive for its diversity and his works resonate in that sometimes edgy space where Maori and Western cultures meet or have met. The representation of Maori art throughout history and in contemporary art and culture is a central subject of investigation in his work. 'Race, religion, kiwiana, politics, struggle, humour. I find inspiration in so many things. If you treat it with the integrity it deserves, I believe that nothing should be untouchable for an artist,' he says.

Source: Suite Gallery