Michel Tuffery

Michael "Michel" Cliff Tuffery, MNZM, is a New Zealand artist of Samoan, Tahitian and Cook Island descent.

He lives and works in Wellington, New Zealand. Renowned as a printmaker, painter and sculptor, Tuffery has gained national and international recognition, and has made a major contribution to the New Zealand art scene.

Tuffery has become notoriously famous for his 1994 life-sized work, entitled Pisupo lua afe (Corned beef 2000), which was constructed from flattened and riveted re-cycled corned beef tins. His work is shaped by his research into, and encounters with his Polynesian heritage while making use of Māori design. His mother is Samoan and his father was Cook Island Tahitian. Being born in New Zealand he has said that he just assumed he was Maori. This may be something that has influenced the style of his works.

He attended Newlands College in Wellington,^[1] and has a Diploma in Fine Arts (Hons) from the School of Fine Arts at Otago Polytechnic (1989). Many of his works explore colonialism and peoples' treatment of the environment.

He was appointed a Member of the NZ Order of Merit in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours List.^[2]

References

1. ^ "Newlands’ big-name artist gets to work". Scoop. November 13, 2009. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0911/S00258.htm. Retrieved November 13, 2009. 
2. ^ 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours List

External links

• Artist's website
• Works from the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

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Name	Tuffery, Michel
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