Mr Baye Riddell, of Tokomaru Bay, ONZM for services to Māori clay art
Mr Baye Riddell (Ngāti Porou) is a preeminent contemporary clay artist, whose artwork is a contemporary expression of traditional Māori art forms and cultural practice. He co-founded the national Māori clay artists collective Ngā Kaihanga Uku, which he continues to lead as kaumātua. He was principal author of ‘Ngā Kaihanga Uku: Māori Clay Artists’, which received the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand Prize for Best Writing by an Aotearoa Māori or Pasifika author. He has exhibited in New Zealand, China, South Korea, the United States, and Canada, and his work is held in major collections. He mentors new artists and has taught Māori clay art at marae, in workshops and tertiary institutions. Mr Riddell served on the Central Region Arts Council and was Arts Coordinator for Waiapu Arts Council.