Provenance: Collection of Darcy & Anne Nicholas, Wellington Acquired directly from the artist, 1992

Buck Nin became a major force in the contemporary Maori art movement with his strongly individual style of painting, his teaching, approachability and will to work with people from all walks of life. Buck was a larger-than-life character, not only physically but also because of his considerable intellect and energy. The imagery in the work of Buck Nin is drawn from Maori carving, weaving and rafter patterns, often set against the backdrop of a minimalist landscape. These patterns spread across the picture plane like a sacred cloak, warming, embracing and caressing the earth. This is his Maori earth, Papatuanuku. Buck Nin, Ralph Hotere, Selwyn Muru and Sandy Adsett are acknowledged as four of our major contemporary Maori painters. Contemporary Maori sculptors like Arnold Wilson, Fred Graham, Cliff Whiting and Para Matchett were already a major part of the emerging Maori art movement in the late 50's. Together these artists formed the dynamics of a contemporary Maori art movement that has expanded across the globe. Nin floated the imagery of Maori carvings across the land claiming spiritual ownership. When he died Maoridom lost one of its greatest sons. History will show him as one of Maoridom's and subsequently New Zealand's great contemporary artists. Darcy Nicholas Born in Auckland in 1942, Buck Nin Ngati Ruakawa, Ngati Toa taught art at Hamilton College for more than twenty years. He graduated from the University of Canterbury in 1965, later gaining a Masters in Education from the University of Hawaii, then a Doctorate in Fine Arts from Texas Technical University. In the 1970s he tirelessly campaigned to raise the profile of Maori art. Dr Buck Nin's work was inspired by both his Maori and Chinese ancestry. His work is in the collections of University of Hawaii, Te Papa, The New Dowse, Manawatu Art Gallery, COCA, Aigantighe Art Museum, Rotorua Museum of Art and History and Waikato Museum of Art and History. Darcy and Anne Nicholas are deacessioning their extensive art collection. Darcy received a Queens Service Order (QSO) for his services to Museums. In 2013 he was given the supreme award for Maori arts, Te Tohu mo Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu Te Waka Toi Exemplary Award.