Shannon Te Ao
b. 1978, Sydney (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Wairangi, Te Pāpaka-a-Māui)
Lives and works in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
Shannon Te Ao
my life as a tunnel, 2018
two-channel video with sound
duration 9:48min, loop
Shannon Te Ao holds a BFA from University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts and an MFA from the College of Creative Arts at Massey University Wellington.
Shannon Te Ao
The New Zealand Wars, 2024
archival pigment prints (Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl 310gsm), mounted on alu-dibond
five elements: 1375 x 1100mm each
ed. 3 + 1AP
Installation view: Coastal Signs, Tāmaki Makaurau.
Shannon Te Ao
The New Zealand Wars, 2024
archival pigment prints (Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl 310gsm), mounted on alu-dibond
five elements: 1375 x 1100mm each
ed. 3 + 1AP
Installation view: Coastal Signs, Tāmaki Makaurau.
Shannon Te Ao
The New Zealand Wars, 2024
archival pigment prints (Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl 310gsm), mounted on alu-dibond
five elements: 1375 x 1100mm each
ed. 3 + 1AP
Installation view: seen with Peter Robinson, If you were to work here, 2013, wool felt, aluminium core, 240 elements: 2400 x 35 x 35mm. Coastal Signs, Tāmaki Makaurau
S h a n n o n T e A o / A s i a P a c i f i c T r i e n n i a l
Shannon Te Ao
tūturu, 2024
archival digital print on Hahnemühle photorag paper mounted on alu-dibond
photography: Hendrix Hennessy-Ropiha
three elements: 900 x 1125mm each
ed. 3 + 1AP
Shannon Te Ao
pōtiki, 2024
archival digital print on Hahnemühle photorag paper mounted on alu-dibond
photography: Hendrix Hennessy-Ropiha
900 x 1125mm
ed. 3 + 1AP
Recent Solo Exhibitions
- la rā, ia rā (rere runga, rere raro) - Everyday (I fly high, I fly low), 15th Gwangju Biennale Pavilion, Gwangju South Korea (2024)
- T e p ō t i k i o t e a o , C o a s t a l S i g n s , T ā m a k i M a k a u r a u A u c k l a n d ( 2 0 2 4
- T ī w a k a w a k a , C o a s t a l S i g n s , T ā m a k i M a k a u r a u A u c k l a n d ( 2 0 2 2 )
- Tōku ora tōku ara, Tauranga Art Gallery, Tauranga (2022)
- The 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT10), QAGOMA, Brisbane (2021)
- Ka mua, ka muri, Te Uru, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (2021)
- what was or could be today (again), Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Ōtepoti Dunedin (2021)
- Mā te wā, Mossman, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington (2020)
- Ka mua, ka muri, Remai Modern, Saskatoon (2020)
- Ka mua, ka muri, Oakville Galleries, Toronto (2020)
- Art Basel Hong Kong (with Hopkinson Mossman), Hong Kong (2019)
- my life as a tunnel, Hopkinson Mossman, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (2018)
- my life as a tunnel, The Dowse Art Museum, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington (2018)
- With the sun aglow, I have my pensive moods, Te Tuhi, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (2017)
- Untitled (McCahon House Studies), City Gallery Wellington, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington (2017)
- With the sun aglow; I have my pensive moods, The Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh (2017)
- Tenei ao kawa nei, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, Ōtautahi Christchurch (2017)
- Two shoots that stretch far out, Taipei Contemporary Art Centre, Taipei (2017)
- Te huka o te tai, Artspace, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (2017)
Shannon Te Ao
The New Zealand Wars, 2024
archival pigment prints (Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl 310gsm), mounted on alu-dibond
five elements: 1375 x 1100mm each
installation view: Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
Shannon Te Ao
ia rā, ia rā (rere runga, rere raro) (stills), 2021
three-channel video, sound
duration 6:20min
Recent Group Exhibitions
- Hawai'i Triennial, Honolulu, (2025)
- H u n d r e d s u p o n t h o u s a n d s o f m o m e n t s g l i t t e r i n u n i s o n C o a s t a l S i g n s , T ā m a k i M a k a u r a u ( 2 0 2 5 )
- W i n t e r S k i e s C o a s t a l S i g n s , T ā m a k i M a k a u r a u A u c k l a n d ( 2 0 2 3 )
- The Polyphonic Sea Bundanon, Nowra (2023)
- Octopus 23: THE FIELD, Gertrude Contemporary, Melbourne (2023)
- ʻO le ūa na fua mai Manuʻa, UNSW Galleries, Sydney (2020)
- In a World if Wounds , Artbank, Sydney (2018)
- The order of things, Hocken Gallery, Ōtepoti Dunedin (2017)
- Being in place, Or Gallery, Vancouver (2017)
- The Subject in the Land, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (2017)
- (w/ Daniel Maier-Reimer) Politics of Sharing: On Collective Wisdom (Co-conceived by Elke aus dem Moore and Misal Adnan Yıldız), Artspace, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (2017)
- Take that which has passed, Toi Pōneke Arts Centre, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington (2017)
- Imagine the Present , ST PAUL St, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (2016)
- The Walters Prize, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Tāmaki Makaurau (2016)
Shannon Te Ao
Pūaotanga o te ao, 2022
archival digital print on Hahnemühle photorag paper
930 x 1160mm frame
Shannon Te Ao
Tīwakawaka, 2022
installation view: Coastal Signs, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
Shannon Te Ao
Hara, 2022
archival digital print on Hahnemühle photorag paper
two elements, 930 x 1160mm each
Installation View: Octopus 23: THE FIELD, Gertrude Contemporary, Melbourne (2023)
Readings
- Helen Hughes, On Measuring Distance: THE FIELD, Contemporary Hum, 2023
- Maya Wilson-Sanchez, Time and Water; Shannon Te Ao’s Ka mua, ka muri in Canada, 2020
- Ricky Varghese, Shannon Te Ao; Ka mua, ka muri, Art Asia Pacific, 2020
- Remai Modern, Shannon Te Ao; Questionnaire, 2020
- Alex Davidson, Shannon Te Ao at The Dowse, 2018
- Matariki Williams, The Singing Word: On Shannon Te Ao’s my life as a tunnel, 2018
- En Liang Khong, Critics guide; Edinburgh, 2017
- Hilary Thurlow, Octopus 23: The Field, Art News Aotearoa, 2023.
Shannon Te Ao
Ka mua, ka muri, 2020
two-channel video with sound
duration 5m 30s
installation view: Oakville Galleries, Toronto
Shannon Te Ao
Ka mua, ka muri, 2020
two-channel video with sound
duration 5m 30s
installation view: Oakville Galleries, Toronto
Shannon Te Ao
Ka mua, ka muri, 2020
two-channel video with sound
duration 5m 30s
installation view: Oakville Galleries, Toronto
Shannon Te Ao
Mā te wā, 2021
installation view: Te Uru, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
Shannon Te Ao
Pūkahukahu, 2020
Pigment inks on Hahnamuhle Photorag Ultra smooth
920 x 1145mm
Shannon Te Ao
what was or could be today (again), 2019
single channel HD video, b/w, sound
duration 12:43min, loop
Shannon Te Ao
what was or could be today (again), 2019
single channel HD video, b/w, sound
duration 12:43min, loop
Shannon Te Ao
my life as a tunnel, 2018
two-channel video with sound
duration 9:48min, loop
Shannon Te Ao
With the sun aglow, I have my pensive moods (still), 2017
two-channel video with colour and sound
duration 13:11min