Shannon Te Ao
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Shannon_Te_Ao_%E2%80%A2_Jane_Ussher_%E2%80%A2_Rangahau_2016.tif/lossy-page1-220px-Shannon_Te_Ao_%E2%80%A2_Jane_Ussher_%E2%80%A2_Rangahau_2016.tif.jpg)
Shannon Te Ao (born in Sydney in 1978) is a New Zealand artist and writer of Ngāti Tūwharetoa descent.[1] He won the 2016 Walters Prize.
Education[]
Te Ao completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching at the University of Auckland.[2]
Walters Prize[]
Te Ao was the sole New Zealand artist selected for the 19th Biennale of Sydney in 2014.[3] His video work two shoots that stretch far out (2013-2014) was shown at the Art Gallery of New South Wales for the Biennale.[4] In 2015 the work was shown at City Gallery Wellington alongside drawings by Susan Te Kahurangi King in the exhibition Susan Te Kahurangi King and Shannon Te Ao: From the One I Call My Own.[3]
In March 2016 Te Ao was announced as a finalist for the biennial Walters Prize (New Zealand's largest visual arts prize) for the work.[5] For his presentation in the Walters Prize exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery Te Ao showed two shoots that stretch far out in one room, and in a space leading in to the screening installed Okea ururoatia (never say die) (2016), made of living plants arranged on pallets and lit by hanging lights.[6] He was announced as the winner on 30 September 2016; the award was judged by Doryun Chong.[7]
Exhibitions[]
2013
- Follow the Party of the Whale, The Blue Oyster Art Project Space[2]
2014
- Follow the Party of the Whale, Adam Art Gallery[8]
- 19th Biennale of Sydney
- Towards doing more, The Physics Room[9]
2015
- Shannon Te Ao: A torch and a light (cover), Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts[10]
- Susan Te Kahurangi King and Shannon Te Ao: From the One I Call My Own, City Gallery Wellington
2016
- Shannon Te Ao: A torch and a light (cover), Hastings City Art Gallery [11]
- Walters Prize Award, Auckland Art Gallery[12]
- Shannon Te Ao: Untitled (malady), Robert Heald Gallery, Wellington[13]
2017
- Shannon Te Ao: Tēnei Ao Kawa Nei, Christchurch Art Gallery[14]
- Shannon Te Ao: Untitled (McCahon House Studies), City Gallery Wellington[15]
- te huka o te tai, Artspace, Auckland[16]
- Shannon Te Ao: With the sun aglow, I have my pensive moods, Edinburgh Art Festival[17]
2018
- Shannon Te Ao: my life as a tunnel, The Dowse Art Museum[18]
Further information[]
Interviews[]
- Five Minutes With Shannon Te Ao, The Brag, 2014
- Shannon Te Ao interviewed by Mark Amery, Circuit, 23 July 2015
- Shannon Te Ao interviewed by Kim Hill, Saturday Morning programme, RNZ, 1 October 2016
- Shannon Te Ao interviewed by Nathan Pohio, Bulletin, Christchurch Art Gallery, February 2017
- Shannon Te Ao interviewed by Lynn Freeman, Standing Room Only, RNZ, 2 July 2017
Reviews[]
- Courtney Johnston, Review of Susan Te Kahurangi King and Shannon Te Ao: From the One I Call My Own, Nine to Noon programme, RNZ, 1 July 2015
- Mark Amery Review of Susan Te Kahurangi King and Shannon Te Ao: From the One I Call My Own, NZ Listener, 2 July 2015
- John Hurrell, A New Shannon Te Ao Video, EyeContact, 15 July 2015
- Jessica Hubbard Searching for a Nonverbal Connection, EyeContact, 7 October 2015
- Megan Dunn, The Abode of Indifference, Circuit, 11 October 2015
- John Hurrell, More Is Less: The Walters Prize 2016, EyeContact, 7 August 2016
- Tim Cornwall, Edinburgh Art Festival: artists look to Maori traditions, 19th-century botany and jellyfish, The Art Newspaper, 25 July 2017
- Laura Cumming, Edinburgh art festival review – the dark side of Robert Burns, The Observer, 30 July 2017.
- En Liang Khong Critic’s Guide: Edinburgh, Frieze, 1 August 2017
- Andrew Clifford Shannon Te Ao: With the sun aglow, I have my pensive moods, Contemporary Hum, 4 December 2017
- Matariki Williams, The Singing Word: On Shannon Te Ao’s my life as a tunnel, The Pantograph Punch, 22 June 2018
- Alex Davidson, Critic's pick: Shannon Te Ao, Artforum, July 2018
- Fi Churchman, Future Greats: Shannon Te Ao, Art Review Asia, Summer 2018
Books[]
An artist book, I can press my face up against the glass, was published by The Physics Room in 2014.[19] It features essays by Tina Barton, Caterina Riva and Anna-Marie White.[20]
A chapter on Te Ao's work is included in New Zealand writer Anthony Byrt's 2016 book This Model World: Travels to the Edge of Contemporary Art. A still from his 2014 work two shoots that stretch far out was used for the cover of the book.[21] ISBN 978-1-86940-858-9
References[]
- ^ "Three Māori artists finalists for Walters prize". Mana Magazine. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ a b "Te Ao, Shannon". Massey University. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ a b "Susan Te Kahurangi King and Shannon Te Ao: From the One I Call My Own". City Gallery Wellington. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ "Shannon Te Ao". Biennale of Sydney. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ "Four artists announced for the Walters Prize 2016". Auckland Art Gallery. 10 March 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ "Wellington-based artist Shannon Te Ao wins the Walters Prize". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Wellington artist takes out Walters Prize". Radio New Zealand. 1 October 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "New moving-image series launches with installation by Shannon Te Ao". Victoria University of Wellington. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Shannon Te Ao: Towards Doing More". The Physics Room. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Shannon Te Ao: A torch and a light (cover)". Te Tuhi. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ "A torch and a light (cover) : Shannon Te Ao". Hastings City Art Gallery. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "The Walters Prize 2016". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ "Shannon Te Ao: Untitled (malady), 2016". Robert Heald Gallery. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Shannon Te Ao: Tēnei Ao Kawa Nei". Christchurch Art Gallery. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- ^ "Shannon Te Ao: Untitled (McCahon House Studies)". City Gallery Wellington. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- ^ "Shannon Te Ao - te huka o te tai". ARTSPACE. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ "Shannon Te Ao: With the sun aglow, I have my pensive moods". Edinburgh Art Festival. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
- ^ "Shannon Te Ao: my life as a tunnel | The Dowse Art Museum". The Dowse Art Museum. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
- ^ "I can press my face up against the glass". The Physics Room. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Publications review". Circuitcast. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ "This Model World: Travels to the Edge of Contemporary Art - Books - Auckland University Press - The University of Auckland". Auckland University Press. ISBN 978-1-86940-858-9. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- 1978 births
- New Zealand contemporary artists
- Living people
- New Zealand Māori artists
- Ngāti Tūwharetoa
- University of Auckland alumni