Artwork
Down Under
Down Under is a print by Shane Cotton. It dates from 2004 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Shane Cotton’s Down Under is a 2004 print held at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It sits in a wave of New Zealand artists who rose in the 1990s. Cotton’s own roots are split: his Maori and European ancestry show up in the work’s deeper themes.
He mixes symbols from both sides to talk about colonialism, identity, and what lasts after life.
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Overview
Down Under is a 2004 print by Shane Cotton, held at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Subject & Meaning
The work explores themes of colonialism, cultural identity, spirituality, and mortality, drawing on the artist's dual Maori and European heritage.
Technique & Style
Cotton's iconography combines symbols from both Maori and European sources, reflecting his mixed ancestry.
Context
Down Under is part of a broader movement of New Zealand artists who gained prominence in the 1990s.
Artist & collection
Artist
Shane William Cotton is a New Zealand painter whose work explores biculturalism, colonialism, cultural identity, Māori spirituality, and life and death.
