From Saturday 17 December, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki will present renowned contemporary Pacific artist, writer and poet, John Pule's Hauaga (Arrivals) exhibition.

The Gallery is the final venue in a nationwide tour, toured by City Gallery Wellington, which brings Pule's major works back to his hometown.

Niuean-born Pule grew up and lives in Auckland. The exhibition surveys his career from one of its key turning points, in 1991, when he travelled back to Niue and reconnected with its traditional art of hiapo (barkcloth painting). The exhibition is curated by Gregory O'Brien and Aaron Lister.

Regional Facilities Auckland Art Gallery director Chris Saines describes John Pule: Hauaga (Arrivals) as a 'timely recognition of one of New Zealand's most influential and highly respected artists, someone whose work shifts seamlessly between traditional and contemporary cultural contexts and art forms'.

'It's fitting Pule's hometown is the final venue for Hauaga (Arrivals)', says Indigenous Curator, Maori Art, Ngahiraka Mason. 'Visitors have the chance to experience the depth of his ideas - to see just how he creates meaning through painting and printmaking. His paintings and works on paper make an unforgettable impression and hold their own authority in contemporary art'.

A highlight of the exhibition is the inclusion of some of Pule's strongest works on paper, which include both image and text. These show Pule's equivalent strengths as a poet and painter, asking to be read as well as viewed.

Pule's work has been included in exhibitions in Europe, America, Asia and Australia. Major collections are held at the Queensland Art Gallery and as far afield as the National Gallery of Scotland. In 2004, Pule was honoured with the prestigious Laureate Award from the Arts Foundation of New Zealand.

Since the mid-1980s, John Pule has explored performance, poetry, literature and painting, all drawing upon his Niuean culture but placed within a contemporary context. Today he is a prominent cultural figure within New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region, and plays a pivotal role in the presentation of contemporary Pacific culture.

Image: John Pule, Niniko lalolagi/Dazzling World, 2004, oil and ink on canvas, private collection