Reuben Paterson
b. 1973 (Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāi Tūhoe, Tūhourangi, Scottish)

Through a diverse range of media, Reuben Paterson has been dazzling viewers for the past two and a half decades. His visually hypnotic and conceptually nuanced artwork has become widely known and celebrated, and he is now considered one of New Zealand’s pre-eminent contemporary artists.

Prominent curator Aaron Lister has stated, “Paterson uses the transformative properties of light to reach beyond appearances and pry open the complex histories and tensions that sit just beneath the surface of all things. His art is made in celebration of exchange and encounter, hybridity and fluidity, spirituality and sexuality, and is especially attuned to the dynamics of queer identity and whakapapa-based modes of cultural knowledge.” This rich tapestry of cultural touch points allows viewers to read his work in myriad ways.

Koro is a sculptural work from 2023. Crafted from cast aluminium, painted with automotive lacquer, and encrusted with glass crystals, it showcases Paterson’s ability to create sensational works across a diverse range of media. It was included in Paterson’s sensational 2023 exhibition The Only Dream Left held at City Gallery Wellington.

"Koro is not inhabited by a living body but is instead embodied by the implication of light calling out, like all the voices trailing the waves before him. Wherever each Edition may land, Koro is with voice and a life of his own; he calls out to the stars and waits for a response. The rays of light on the shell's surface reach out, reflecting water and sky equally, parts born and being sentient in its refraction. We should be uncertain whether or not Koro is a greeting or a warning signal for the culture of uncertainty and change ahead." - Reuben Paterson