Shane Cotton was born in Upper Hutt in 1964 and is of Nga Puhi descent. He graduated from the University of Canterbury in 1988 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. In 1993 he joined the Department of Maori Visual Arts at Massey University as a lecturer until 2005 . In 1998 he a was Francis Hodgkins Fellow at the University of Otago.
His work explores issues of colonialism, Maori spirituality, biculturalism and cultural identity. He was one of a generation of young artists who came to prominence in the 1990’s and his work challenged the status of Maori within New Zealand. Cotton’s interest in paintings made by naïve Maori painters at the turn of the century influenced his earlier works. Newer work by Cotton features a series of recurring images including bullseye targets, birds, plants, pots and mokomokai (Maori shrunken heads).
His latest works feature mountains and landscapes within a pot format. They are connected to the landscape and places beyond Auckland. He has painted a series of pots that encompass images that make reference to different places around New Zealand.
His work has featured in many exhibitions in New Zealand and Australia and is represented in many private and public collections.
