Israel Tangaroa Birch
Biography
Israel Tangaroa Birch (Ngāpuhi, Ngāi Tawake, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rakaipaaka) is a leading figure in Aotearoa’s contemporary art scene, celebrated for his innovative works crafted from steel and enamel. Describing his practice as "painting with light," Israel draws inspiration from ancestral carving traditions, kōwhaiwhai & tukutuku patterns and the natural world. Using pattern and repetition to engage with light, shape and form, Birch meticulously etches intricate motifs into stainless steel. He polishes his surfaces to a reflective finish before being layered with rich pigments and lacquer – creating luminous, multi-dimensional works.
Through his unique process, Birch transforms industrial surfaces into dynamic fields of reflection and refraction. He creates shimmering, multi-layered taonga, which function as living surfaces, oscillating between visibility and concealment, permanence, and flux. The artworks change as they interact with their environments, passing viewers, and shifting shadows across the day. ‘Light and dark is my medium,’ he says.[1] He is also cognisant of the complementary influences of Tūmatauenga, the atua of war, and Rongo, the atua of peace, on himself as an artist. His conceptual artworks boldly critique contemporary social/political issues, while also providing rongoā (healing).
Named after Tangaroa, the atua of the ocean, Birch has a deep ancestral and personal connection to the sea. He was born in Te Matau-a-Māui (Hawke’s Bay) and spent much of his childhood in the water. Liquid, alive and rippling with light, his highly charged surfaces draw inspiration from the ungraspable quality of the ocean. The repeated and curved motifs of his carvings become active with light, evoking sunlight falling on the sea. The distinct colours of Aotearoa – its land, water, and natural light – continue to inform his artistic practice.
His artistic foundation was watching his father carve the wharenui at Matahiwi Marae, near Haumoana. He later completed a master’s degree in Māori Visual Arts at Massey University and went on to teach for the programme. Birch’s work has been exhibited widely in Aotearoa, Australia, Canada, and Europe. He demonstrates remarkable technical virtuosity across disciplines – as well as his carved/painted steel panels, Birch’s oeuvre includes sculpture, printmaking, moving image, and works of public art and architecture. He has earned significant recognition, including several Creative New Zealand Awards and Norsewear Art Awards, as well as the Designers Institute of New Zealand supreme Purple Pin for his work creating Te Rau Karamu Marae in Wellington. His work is held in major public, private and corporate collections.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australia.
The Art House Trust, Auckland
The Suter Gallery / Te Aratoi o Whakatū, Nelson
Massey University of New Zealand - Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa
MTG Hawke's Bay Museum, Tai Ahuriri
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science & Heritage
University of Otago, Dunedin
Tesltraclear Pacific Art Collection, Auckland
The Wallace Arts Trust, Auckland
Westpac Art Collection, New Zealand
Waikato Museum of Art and History / Te Whare Taonga o Waikato.
