Book Author

Ms Tamati-Quennell is a leading curator and writer of modern & contemporary Māori & Indigenous art, a field she has worked in for three decades. Her research interests include Māori modernism, Mana Wāhine Māori – the Māori women artists of the 1980s and 1990s, The Māori Internationals – the urban avant-garde Māori artists of the 1990s, International Indigenous art, and Indigenous art curatorial praxis.

She currently holds two curatorial positions; Curator modern & contemporary Maori & Indigenous art at Te Papa in Wellington and Associate Indigenous Curator, Contemporary Art | Kairauhī Taketake Toi Onāianei at the Govett Brewster Art Gallery in New Plymouth.

Megan’s current projects include an essay for Nirin, the 22nd Biennale of Sydney, writing and editing a limited edition publication related to detour, a major commission by leading conceptual artist Michael Parekowhai. An essay exploring primitivism and Len Lye’s use of Indigenous art for Len Lye Motion Composer at the Museum Tinguely, Basel, Switzerland and developing a publication focused on building the Modern & contemporary Māori and Indigenous art collection at Te Papa.

Her current exhibitions include Mining Darkness, focused on trace, unearthed, and often traumatic histories, an exhibition about the Women of Maori modernism, and an exhibition focused on the work of Matt Pine, a minimalist Māori sculptor and his work with pre-contact Māori land modification and architecture.

Megan is of Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Mutunga and Ngāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe and Waitaha Māori descent.