Kelcy Taratoa is a New Zealand painter. His works are vivid, hard-edged, and graphic. Taratoa’s formative years were divided between small town Levin, and West coast city New Plymouth. In 1990 he relocated to Palmerston North to undertake trade training, and later in 1998 commenced his tertiary training at Massey University, graduating in 2005 with a Master of Māori Visual Arts. Whilst cultural identity, popular culture, technology, and science fiction have been source material for his highly political and at times deeply personal works, 2019 revealed a shift in Taratoa’s practice into the conceptual and abstract territory of Māori customary art forms. Taratoa has exhibited widely throughout New Zealand, and his works are included in both private and public collections, in New Zealand and overseas. He currently lives and works in Tauranga.
+ 2020 Whakatakina Te Waiwhetū Commission: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna Toi o Waiwhetu, New Zealand
+ 2020 Te Tāhū o ngā Maunga Tūmatakahuki Commission: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna Toi o Waiwhetu,
New Zealand
+ 2020 He Kauhanga Tawhiti: Sumer Contemporary Gallery, Tauranga, New Zealand.
+ 2019 The Grey Space: Bartley & Company + Art , Wellington, New Zealand.
+ 2019 Te Kore, te-wiwia Atrium Commission: Tauranga Art Gallery, Tauranga, New Zealand.
+ 2019 Who am I? Episode 001 First Survey: Tauranga Art Gallery, Tauranga, New Zealand.
+ 2018 Atomic Blue: Compose Gallery, Tauranga, New Zealand.
+ 2017 Big City: Nadene Milne Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand.
+ 2016 We Like Catching Fish: Mangere Arts Centre, Auckland, New Zealand.
+ 2016 The Panoptic Tower: Pataka Museum + Art, Porirua, New Zealand.
+ 2015 Vivid: NMG Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown, New Zealand.
+ 2014 Surveillance and Privacy: Museum Art Hotel, Wellington, New Zealand.
+ 2010 Crisis & Isolation: Tauranga Art Gallery, Tauranga, New Zealand.
+ 2007 Myspace: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna Toi o Waiwhetū, New Zealand.
+ 2005 The who am I? episodes: Te Manawa Public Art Gallery, New Zealand.
+ 2005 The who am I? episodes: Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt, New Zealand.
+ 2017 Urban Mauri (Touring): Zeus Gallery, Tauranga + The Skin Room, Hamilton + Taneatua Gallery, Taneatua.
+ 2016 Mau Āhua: New Zealand Portrait Gallery: Te Pūkena Whakaata, Wellington, New Zealand.
+ 2016 Katharsis: Calder & Lawson Gallery, Waikato University, Hamilton, New Zealand.
+ 2016 Artists in Residence: Centennial Exhibition, Scots College, Wellington, New Zealand.
+ 2015 Toioho XX: 20 Years of Maori Visual Art: Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science, and History, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
+ 2013 Privacy and Surveillance: Auckland Art Fair 2013, Auckland, New Zealand.
+ 2011 Roundabout: Face to Face: Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel.
+ 2010 Roundabout: City Gallery Wellington, New Zealand.
+ 2008 Conversations: Identity, Te Manawa Public Art Gallery, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
+ 2008 New Painting – Digital Age: Te Tuhi – Centre for the Arts, Auckland, New Zealand.
+ 2007 New Painting – Digital Age: Pataka Museum, Porirua, New Zealand.
+ 2006 Wallace finalist: Aotea Centre, Auckland – Pataka Museum + Art, Porirua, New Zealand.
+ 2006 2×2 Contemporary Projects Kelcy Taratoa – Edith Amituanai, Back to Mine -Urban Realities: City Gallery Wellington, New Zealand.
+ Te Manawa: Museum of Art, Science and Heritage, Palmerston North. Kelcy Taratoa, (2007). Replicant,
Acrylic on linen.
+ City Art Collection, Wellington City Council. Kelcy Taratoa, (2006). Episode 0021, Acrylic on canvas.
+ Palmerston North City Council, Palmerston North. Kelcy Taratoa, (2006). Episode 0011, Acrylic on canvas.
+ Massey University, Palmerston North. Kelcy Taratoa, (2003). TŪ, steel reinforcing rounds.
+ Taratoa, K., & Drunen, M. V. (2016). The Panoptic Tower. Porirua: Pātaka Art Museum.
+ Ng, E. W. (2010). Roundabout. New York, NY: ArtAsiaPacific Publishing.
+ Dustin, M., & Rudge, M. (2009). Conversations, Identity: 4 artists/4 Voices: Kelcy Taratoa, Mark Dustin,
Andre Te Hira, David Pearce. Palmerston North, N.Z.: Te Manawa Museums Trust.
+ Brown, W. (2009). Seen this century: 100 contemporary New Zealand artists. Auckland, N.Z.: Godwit.
+ Campbell, F. (2009). Real Art Roadshow: The book. Waikanae, N.Z.: Real Art Charitable Trust.
+ Taratoa, K., & Hall, K. (2007). Kelcy Taratoa: My space. Christchurch, N.Z.: Christchurch Art Gallery.
+ Bagnall, D. (2007). Douglas Bagnall, Armando Lulaj, James McCarthy: New painting: Digital age- Darryn George,
Sara Hughes, Andrew McLeod, Kelcy Taratoa, Tim Thatcher. Manukau City, N.Z.: Te Tuhi, Centre for the Arts.
+ Kedgley, H., George, D., Hughes, S., McLeod, A., Taratoa, K., & Thatcher, T. (2007). New painting: Digital age:
Paintings by Darryn George, Sara Hughes, Andrew McLeod, Kelcy Taratoa, Tim Thatcher: 12 May-12 August 2007. Porirua: Pataka.
+ Bugden, E. (2006). 2×2 contemporary projects: Edith Amituanai, Kelcy Taratoa, 18 June – 30 July 2006, Lonnie
Hutchinson, Sriwhana Spong, 5 August – 24 September 2006. Wellington, N.Z.: City Gallery Wellington.
+ RNZ: Standing Room Only: Father and Daughter Artists Kelcy & Arpege Taratoa. (2019)