River Jayden

River Jayden (Ngāti Tahu - Ngāti Whaoa), Maori visual artist and graphic designer who specialises in digital design and painting. Jayden's artwork is visually striking with intense colour and speaks to the unique visual history of Māori culture. River is a graduate of Bachelor of Arts from University of Canterbury and her research within art history looks at colonial and religious appropriation of Māori culture, with a particular focus into the appropriation of kōwhaiwhai patterns within Christianity as a deliberate way to assimilate Māori. “Research is fundamental to my painting practice, it inspires me to create works that spark debate, and the narrative is usually politically charged.”