Associate Professor, Steve Gibbs, Wavesking
Give Toihoukura founding tutor Steve Gibbs a challenge and he is in boots and all.
Whether that is in nurturing the next generation of artists, challenging himself with his own art and beliefs, or out on the ocean.
This world wave ski champ has just this year won his 13th consecutive national grandmasters title. He’s as passionate about that as he is about art.
Growing up in Gisborne, he spent his days in the water – swimming, surf lifesaving and Surfing. But damaged knees through playing Rugby and Soccer, forced him to rethink his sport, which in 1985 led him to the newly introduced wave ski surfing.
“It was perfect for me,” says this father of two. “I love wave ski surfing as it enables me to fly as free as my avian spirit.”
Gibbs is also an internationally recognized artist and art educator.
“I am part of an education pedagogy where there is a tradition that a lot of our great artists have also been involved in education, as artist / art educators – they fit together well,” says Gibbs. “I love teaching and being part of a stimulating creative learning environment, but I also enjoy my own art. It is a symbiotic relationship that I am lucky to be part of.”
He’s been mentored and had the privilege to work with some of the greats – Fred Graham, Cliff Whiting, Bill Sutton, Doris Lusk, Barry Cleavlin and Sandy Adsett
Gibbs has been involved with Toihoukura since the beginning.
“I love it as much today as when we started,” he says.
He’s been part of the team who have created a strong national and international indigenous network.
“Toihoukura korero is an indigenous perspective on our cultural values through the visual arts, so it is fitting we are at the forefront of that.”
Gibbs is confident the future is bright for Maori visual arts.
“There is a big movement towards indigenous art… key is the extension and retention of indigenous values through the visual language of art, which fits into the global paradigm of the indigenous voice.”