When John Pule first arrived in inner city Auckland as a young adult in 1980, the formal tenets of poetry and painting were largely unknown to him. Over the next 30 years Pule would explore new directions as both writer and painter, and has since emerged as one of this countrys most recognised painters and one of the most celebrated artists of the "New Oceania". His work is highly inventive, particularly in its adaptation of traditional Pacific art forms.  It is also challenging and provocative in content. 

Most ideas come from living things. The best ideas come from where I come from. Where I was born is a spectacular event in itself, and that is dazzling for me as an idea. John Pule, 2014