Māori-Greek artist Jimmy James Kouratoras has made a striking return to New York, with his painting Hei Tiki – For the Love of Our Ancestors featured on a 10-metre digital billboard in Manhattan’s Theatre District.
The work, part of the Sacred Origins exhibition at Jutta Gallery, honours his Māori and Cretan Greek whakapapa.
“It was like sending a message from the ancestors straight into the heart of one of the world’s busiest cities,” Kouratoras told RNZ.
The Waikato-Tainui and Cretan artist, self-taught and spiritually guided in his practice, has also been named a finalist in this year’s National Contemporary Art Award in New Zealand.
His solo show Matariki Sacred Waters – Where Land Meets the Sky is currently on display at Franklin Arts Centre.
