Kohatu by Selwyn Muru

Kohatu, 1965, by Selwyn Muru.

Selwyn Muru (1939– ) got to know other young northern painters (including Para Matchitt, Ralph Hotere, Selwyn Wilson and Muru Walters) while at Northland College. He went on to Ardmore Teachers’ College at Papakura, and then taught for two years, specialising in arts and crafts, at Ruatahuna and Matakana Island. Finding he had little time to paint, he gave up teaching.

His first one-man exhibition was held at the Ikon Gallery in Auckland. In his view, ‘the old masters have done an excellent job; therefore there’s no point in trying to better what they did. But the creative avenues leading from traditional Maori art are still open for the artist to explore.’