Portrait of John Pule. Courtesy of Venus Over Manhattan.
A poet, printmaker, and painter celebrated across Oceania, 62-year-old Niuean artist John Pule is poised to make his U.S. debut this fall at Venus Over Manhattan. In May, the gallery showcased Pule’s work in its group presentation at TEFAF New York.
Pule’s verdant, densely decorated paintings draw heavily from the hiapo—a traditional Niuean barkcloth characterized by freehand patterns that incorporate both Indigenous and colonial symbols. In his upcoming self-titled exhibition, Pule will present recent paintings that burst with the vibrant, lush imagery of Niue’s flora and fauna. These works render the natural world with glossy, enchanting colors that pop from the canvas.
Though this upcoming exhibition marks his debut in the U.S., Pule is no stranger to acclaim. His work has been widely admired since the 1990s and is prominently displayed in institutions across Oceania, such as the Queensland Art Gallery, the National Gallery of Australia, and the Auckland Art Gallery.
