Matt Moriarty
Matt was born on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island in the small coastal town of Greymouth.
He studied design at the Victoria University of Wellington & Massey University of Wellington, completing his bachelor’s degree in 1999, and has since worked in the creative sector in New Zealand and Australia as a graphic designer whilst continuing his art practice. He currently lives and works from his home studio in Kaikōura.
Earlier artworks of Moriarty’s examine New Zealand iconography and express his concern for their multi-cultural desaturation and pop appropriation. Here, he mixes traditional cultural objects such as the Hei Tiki, Taiha and Patu – with internationally commercialised design icons such as the Helvetica typeface and the Swiss Army Knife, in a clean graphic style reflective of his vocational background.
More recently, since his return to his roots in New Zealand’s South Island, Moriarty’s focus has shifted more towards his appreciation and concern for the natural environment – so prevalent in New Zealand’s mainland.