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Elizabeth Aroha Ellis (née Mountain) (born 1945) is a New Zealand painter and Māori arts advocate.

Education and career

Born in Kawakawa, Northland, New Zealand in 1945, Ellis's parents Emere Makere Waiwaha Kaa RN RM CM QSO and Walter Mountain, were Kuia Kaumātua (elders) of Te Rawhiti Marae. She is Māori and is affiliated with iwi (tribes) Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Porou.

Ellis trained at the Elam School of Fine Arts, graduating with a Diploma of Fine Art in 1964, becoming one of the first Māori women to do so. Ellis does not often exhibit her own work, which explores the landscapes of her home and people, especially wāhine Māori (Māori women). She is a dedicated teacher, promoter, developer and supporter of Māori art, and is especially committed to mentoring and supporting Māori women artists.

Ellis has had a long career in art governance and has been an active leader in the art and culture sector of New Zealand, including more than 25 years with Haerewa, the Māori advisory group to the Auckland Art Gallery. Ellis also served for three years on the Creative New Zealand Council, nine years on the Māori Arts Board, Te Waka Toi, and was a trustee for seven years on the New Zealand Arts Foundation. Ellis has also represented New Zealand on international arts councils and festivals.

Ellis was an education evaluator in the Education Review Office from 1989 to 2009 when she retired as Area Manager for Auckland and Te Tai Tokerau. She was appointed Commissioner of Te Aute College, Hawke's Bay in 2011 and remained in that role until 2013.

Since 2012, Ellis is Chair of the Wairau Māori Art Gallery Charitable Trust, which opened New Zealand's first dedicated contemporary public Māori art gallery in the Hundertwasser Art Centre in Whangārei in February 2022. She is also the Chair of the Toi Iho Charitable Trust since 2010.

Personal life

Ellis married British-born painter Robert Ellis in 1966 and they had twin daughters, Judge Hana Ellis and art historian Associate Professor Dr Ngarino Ellis. Ellis' home in North Shore, Auckland, was designed by architect Gordon Smith in 1970, where she has lived for over 50 years.

References

1. "Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
2. ^ "Elizabeth Ellis". www.komako.org.nz.
3. ^ Borell, Nigel (16 March 2022). Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art (in English and Māori). Auckland: Penguin Group. ISBN 978-0-1437767-3-4. OCLC 1296712119. Wikidata Q120560720.
4. "Elizabeth Ellis". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
5. ^ "Exhibition to feature the works of iconic Māori modernist artists". NZ Herald. 2024-10-11. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
6. "Legendary advocate for Māori art Elizabeth Ellis". RNZ. 2024-06-07. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
7. Ellis, Ngarino. "Ko Toi Tū, He Taonga Mō Tātou". Pantograph Punch. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
8. "NEW CREATIVE NEW ZEALAND APPOINTMENTS | Beehive.govt.nz". www.beehive.govt.nz. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
9. ^ "Elizabeth Ellis (Mountain) CNZM JP". www.toiiho.org.nz. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
10. "Te Aute College commissioner appointed". RNZ. 28 Jan 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
11. "New leader for Te Aute". Waatea News. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
12. "Meet the driving forces behind the watershed Wairau Māori Art Gallery". en.wairaumaoriartgallery.co.nz. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
13. "Robert Ellis (1929-2021): committed to biculturalism and ethical arts practice - The University of Auckland". www.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
14. "At home with Māori artist Elizabeth Ellis". www.stuff.co.nz. 6 December 2020. Retrieved 2024-10-12.

• 1945 births
• Living people
• 20th-century New Zealand painters
• 21st-century New Zealand painters
• 21st-century New Zealand women artists
• Elam Art School alumni
• People from Te Puke
• Ngāti Porou people
• Ngāpuhi people
• 20th-century New Zealand women painters
• 21st-century women painters