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Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland Council) is joining the art world in paying its respects to Fred Graham (Ngaati Koroki Kahukura), ONZM, Art Foundation Icon.
Graham has passed away at the age of 96 but his legacy lives on, and for Aucklanders that is in the extensive public artworks that are part of the council’s enduring collection.
In the words of his whaanau – words that are being echoed around the world – “Fred Graham was a revered Maaori sculptor, educator, athlete, and artist who has journeyed beyond the veil. His artistry embodied the strength and depth of Maaori storytelling, carrying the whakapapa, traditions, and wairua of his iwi, Ngaati Koroki Kahukura.”
A tribute from Fred Graham’s whaanau:
Frederick John Graham 1 September 1928 – 9 May 2025
He Pou Whakarauora i te Ao Toi Maaori
Kua rere atu taku manu ki ngaa rangi tuuhaahaa, ki te tihi o Maungatautari, ki Taupiri anoo hoki.
I te atapoo o te Paraire, i moe ngaa karu o te ringatoi Maaori whakaihuwaka, te kaiako, te kaipara, te ringa whao, te kaiwhakairo i te kupu, o Fred Graham CNZM, he uri o Ngaati Koroki Kahukura.
Mai i ngā tohu whakairo nunui pēnei i a Kaitiaki i Pukekawa ki Taamaki Makaurau me Justice i te Kooti Matua ki te pokapuu o Taamaki, i ruku hohonu a Graham ki ngā kaupapa o te manaaki, o te tika, o te maaramatanga hoki. Naana ngaa maatauranga tuku iho i whiriwhiria ki te ao hou. Ka kite i ana whakaaro rangatira i ana mahinga toi.
He kaiako ia hei tauira ki ngaa rangatira o āpōpō i ngaa mahinga toi Maaori. I tīmata toona haerenga ki Ardmore Teachers’ Training College, kaatahi ka huri te aronga ki Te Tai Tokerau hei tautoko i ngaa kaiako Maaori, wheeraa i a Katerina Mataira, i a Rau Hotere hoki. He tangata whakapau kaha i te toituutanga o te ao toi Maaori i Aotearoa.
Ehake i te mea he ringatoi anahe, he Maaori All Black hoki a Graham i toona waa. I taakaro raaua ko tana hoa pūmau, a Bishop Muru Walters. Noo raatou te kaha ki te whakatairanga i te mana o te Maaori i ngaa tuumomo waahanga, mai i te haakinakina ki te wairua, tae atu ki te ao toi.
I teeraa tau, i kite ana mahi i te Venice Biennale, ko Whiti Te Raa (1966) teetehi e whakaatu ana i te haka a Te Rauparaha i roto i te whakairo toi. Ko taua whakaaturanga he tohu nui moo te toi Maaori ki te ao whaanui, e whakaū ana i a Graham hei rangatira i roto i te ao toi Maaori.
I whakawhiwhia e Graham te tohu Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM), hei whakamaanawa i toona koha nui ki te ao toi Maaori, me aana mahi whakakaha i te whakaaturanga o te toi i Aotearoa.
I noho a Fred i Waiuku. Kei taua takiwaa aana mahi toi tūmatanui e rua. Ko tana tohu whakairo tuatahi, ko Birds Soar, he tohu rino e waru mita te rahi, hei whakamaharatanga ki te 50 tau o Glenbrook mill. He tohu teenei moo ngaa whakatupuranga katoa.
Ko Waiuku Sculpture, he tohu whakairo rino i whakarewahia i te tau 2024, e whakaatu ana i ngā kōrero o ngā iwi o te rohe, me te hono atu ki te whakapapa o Waiuku.
Ahakoa toona kaumaatuatanga, i noho ia hei tohunga whakairo. I mahia tonutia e ia te toi, i hoahoa tonu ia i tana taapaetanga moo te Erebus Memorial, he tohu whakamaumahara i toona aroha moo te koorero tuku iho maa te toi.
He hoa rangatira, he matua, he koroheke ia. Ko toona whaanau te tuuaapapa o toona ao, te aronga o toona auahatanga. Ka mau tonu toona aroha, toona manaakitanga i roto i ngaa whakatupuranga kei te heke mai.
He kaikookiri ia i te ao toi Maaori, he tauira ki ngaa ringatoi e tupu ana, he kaihaapai i ngaa tirohanga o te Maaori. Ka mau tonu te mana o aana mahi hei whakaawe, hei whakanui, hei whakatauira moo te hunga toi e whai mai nei.
Haere whakangaro atu raa e te rangatira. E tiu, e topa. Pai Maarire.
Fred Graham at centre – pictured in Waiuku
Frederick John Graham 1 September 1928 – 9 May 2025
A Guardian of Maaori Art and Legacy
A majestic bird has journeyed to the heights of the sacred mountains of Maungatautari and Taupiri.
Fred Graham, a revered Maaori sculptor, educator, athlete, and artist, has journeyed beyond the veil. His artistry embodied the strength and depth of Maaori storytelling, carrying the whakapapa, traditions, and wairua of his iwi, Ngaati Koroki Kahukura.
Through iconic works such as Kaitiaki in Pukekawa / Auckland Domain and Justice at the High Court, Graham explored themes of guardianship, justice, and enlightenment. He bridged ancestral knowledge with contemporary expression, ensuring Maaori identity and legacy lived on through his sculptural forms.
Beyond his artistic contributions, Graham was a dedicated educator, shaping the future of Maaori art through his teaching career. His journey began at Ardmore Teachers’ Training College, where he was encouraged to specialise in art education, before moving north to work with Maaori students in Te Tai Tokerau. His commitment to fostering creativity among rangatahi ensured that Maaori perspectives remained central to Aotearoa’s evolving artistic landscape.
Te Waka Taumata o Horotiu (Resting Waka), 2008, Fred Graham. Corner Queen Street and Swanson Street.
Graham was also a Maaori All Black, playing alongside his lifelong friend Bishop Muru Walters. Their bond extended beyond the rugby field, as both men became champions of Maaori art, education, and leadership. Their shared journey reflected a deep commitment to uplifting Maaori voices across multiple spheres, from sport to spirituality to artistic expression.
His influence extended beyond Aotearoa, with his works exhibited internationally, including at the prestigious Venice Biennale. His piece Whiti Te Raa (1966), which portrays figures in motion inspired by the haka of Te Rauparaha, was showcased as part of the Biennale Arte 2024. This exhibition marked a significant moment for Maaori art on the global stage, reinforcing Graham’s role as a pioneer in contemporary indigenous sculpture.
In recognition of his immense contributions to Maaori art, Graham was recently named a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the King’s Honours. This prestigious accolade acknowledged his lifelong dedication to elevating Maaori artistry and ensuring its place within Aotearoa’s cultural fabric.
In 2024 Fred Graham unveiled a gift to his hometown of Waiuku, described as “an expression of his aroha and whakawhetai.”
Fred spent his final years in Waiuku, where he left an indelible mark on the town through two significant public artworks. His Waiuku Sculpture, a stainless-steel piece unveiled in 2024, acknowledges local iwi histories and honours the whakapapa of the region.
His second piece, Birds Soar, an eight-metre steel sculpture commemorating the 50th anniversary of NZ Steel’s Glenbrook mill, symbolises the past, present, and future generations connected to the industry. A tohunga whakairo to the end, he remained deeply engaged in his craft, continuing to shape spaces with his vision and artistic integrity. Even in his last days, he was designing a submission for the Erebus Memorial, a testament to his lifelong devotion to storytelling through form.
The Web (2014) – swapping silk for steel, this spiderweb delights visitors to the Threatened Native Plants Garden at Auckland Botanic Gardens, Manurewa.
But above all, Fred was a devoted husband, father, and Granddad. He cherished his whaanau, who were the foundation of his life and inspiration for his creative journey. His love and guidance will endure through the generations he nurtured, shaping not only his art but also the lives of those who walked alongside him.
As a staunch advocate for Maaori art, he nurtured emerging artists, championed indigenous perspectives, and paved the way for future generations. His life’s work stands as a testament to the enduring power of Maaori creativity, ensuring his influence will continue to shape and inspire.
Fred Graham’s public art
View more of the treasured public artworks in Auckland Council’s collection by Fred Graham, located across Tāmaki Makaurau.
Within Fred Graham’s impressive body of work of over 70 years, manu have been a recurring theme, and his works stand and cast a long and rich shadow across Aotearoa and Tāmaki Makaurau, from Waiuku to the city centre.
Manurewa (2007) – as if in flight and with a wingspan of six metres, this majestic Fred Graham sculpture soars above Mission Bay.
Two of Fred Graham’s public artworks – located in Auckland’s city centre – are placed at the junction of Shortland and Queen Streets. These works mark the original foreshore and former waka landing area before this area was reclaimed.
Kaitiaki II, 2009, Fred Graham. Outside BNZ, 80 Queen Street.
Tūrama Kāhu Kōrako inspired by Fred Graham. Photo credit: Bryan Lowe
Kāhu Kōrako is a term for an older kāhu / hawk / New Zealand harrier whose plumage has lost the dark colouring of youth and whose feathers are pale, white or grey.
The plumage of Kāhu Kōrako is compared by Māori orators with the grey hair of elders, and when coupled with the veneration that ngāi Māori hold for kuia, koroua and kaumātua, the term Kāhu Kōrako becomes a metaphor for an elderly person of mana, whose wisdom and grace will assist your passage wherever you travel within the hem of their korowai (cloak). This Matariki season people will look up and they might notice the bird’s head looks to the south-west – towards Waiuku – acknowledging where Fred Graham and his wife Norma raised their whānau.