Biography and Curriculum Vitae

Biography

Dr Mahutoa ‘Pasha’ Clothier has forty-one generations of tūpuna (ancestors) from Tahiti, Hitiaurevareva (colonised as Pitcairn) and Te Wai Pounamu, the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. They are part of the Moana diaspora. An artist-writer, educator, curator, and cultural events director, their work is deeply rooted in Moana or Polynesian heritage and has been presented in twenty-two countries. Mahutoa co-founded SCANZ with cultural partners Te Matahiapo in 2006. Occurring every two years until 2018, the event focused on cultural bridging, art-science and the environment. Under the guidance of Dr Te Huirangi Waikerepuru, Maata Wharehoka, Kawaihululani and Tihoti, Pasha undertook a journey to the sacred navigator marae of Taputapuātea Ra’iātea near Tahiti in 2023. An etched and bound kōhatu (river stone) was placed on the marae, and Tihoti guided Mahutoa in selecting a kōhatu from the island, to be taken to Aotearoa New Zealand. Between 2020 and 2023, they were the recipient of a Vice Chancellor Scholarship at Auckland University of Technology, allowing three and a half years of full-time PhD research. Their first book Ocean Diffraction: Indigenous Practices, Quantum Theory, Electronic Art and the Anthropocene is due to be published late in 2025.

2020 – present
In the three years from 2020, Mahutoa worked on the PhD project Ngaru Whenua: Diffracting Indigenous Practices, Quantum Theory, Electronic Art and the Anthropocene. The culmination of the project was the honour of placing an etched Kōhatu on Taputapuatea Marae, Ra’iātea under the guidance of Tahuna (Priest) Tihoti, and returning to Aotearoa New Zealand with a kōhatu from the Marae. This kōhatu is named Te Manu Ra’a o Ra’iātea The Sacred Bird of Ra’iātea and is a context for acknowledging tsapu and noa, opening up to engaging with tupuna (ancestors) and hosting whakapapa or genealogy workshops. The first was held at Fibre Gallery, Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Artist 2004 – present
As an artist and curator, Pasha has presented projects in twenty-two countries, several multiple times: three times each in Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. This has been largely due to an early specialisation in cultural hybridity, the site of cultural interactions and interplay, aligned with new technologies. Over eighteen years, Pasha has worked alongside tangata whenua of Aotearoa in partnerships to develop projects here and internationally. Integrated into projects was engaging with the environment, involving placing data sensors in trees and parks, using the live data to control sound in installations. More recently, Pasha added working with kōhatu (river stones) focussed on Te Moana Nui a Kiva contexts – laser etched where placement is outside. This has also evolved into making plant-based paints in the studio and stenciling whakapapa imagery onto tapa, which is called ahu in Tahitian.

Curator 2006 – 2019
As a curator, they have worked nationally and internationally on projects, the more significant projects in partnership with Te Matahiapo Indigenous Research Organisation and more recently with Maata Wharehoka. This included Te Kore Rongo Hungaora The Group of People Who Seek Balance in Nature at The International Symposium of Electronic Art (ISEA) 2011 Istanbul, and Wai at ISEA2012:Albuquerque. National projects include Mauri Ora Vital Transformations three simultaneous exhibitions in Ngāmotu New Plymouth in 2018, that explored creative responses to environment and species. Sharing the Waiwhakaiho in 2015 was a local and regional council project involving tangata whenua, science and art. Media Art Projects in 2014 saw the commissioning of a laser art work that projected Reo Māori in the form of laser 2.7 kilometers to Te Rewa Rewa Pa, and a project where a QR code was combined with traditional tukutuku woven panel.

Educator 2003 – present
As an educator Pasha taught at the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki 2003 – 2020, and was recognised as a national level researcher under the Performance Based Research Fund. This was followed by two years online as Kaiako (a broader definition of teaching, more equal, where lecturers both teach and learn) with The Learning Connexion, 2021 to 2022. Recently they have been nurturing an interest in intergenerational activity, so workshops with young children and parents, through to talks with senior community members. The teaching experience includes research and Pasha has twenty eight publication credits, mostly papers and catalogues.

Cutural events project manager 2006 – 2019
While they have managed diverse projects, the most significant series has been Solar Circuit Aotearoa New Zealand (SCANZ), co-founded with Trudy Lane, Adam Hyde and Nina Czegledy in partnership with Te Matahiapo Indigenous Research Organisation. The first SCANZ in 2006 was themed on Environmental Response and Connection/Disconnection and commenced with a powhiri at Owae Marae led by Dr Te Huirangi Eruera Waikerepuru. SCANZ occurred every two years as Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading art, science, cultural bridging and technology event. It ran until 2018, with the 2020 event cancelled due to COVID. To facilitate these projects, Pasha has been responsible for funding applications, completion report writing, annual Charities Commission reports, annual financial reporting and GST. From 2019 smaller curated and one off projects have been held at Parihaka.

Curriculum vitae

Commissions

Te Manu Ra’a o Ra’iātea The Heavenly Bird of Ra’iātea, (2025). One person exhibition commissioned by Fibre Gallery Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Rainbow Bridge Arawhiti Āniwaniwa window (2024). Commissioned for Art Walk Onehunga, by LAKA, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Kāhili, (2022). 5-year window installation commissioned by the Govett-Brewster Len Lye Centre, New Zealand’s leading contemporary art space.

Interconnections: pasha@patea, (2022). Untanganui Aotea Patea Museum.
One person and whanau (extended family) exhibition.

Te Niho o te Atiawa Pou, (2019). Parihaka Papakainga, Taranaki, Aotearoa New Zealand. Permanent installation of solar-powered pou (post), which has five buttons, when pressed, they give audio of the heritage of the building. Commissioned by Maata Wharehoka.

Electronika hortensium, (2019). Pukekura Park Botanic Garden, Ngā Motu New Plymouth. An electronic flowering plant commissioned by the Fernery.

Art-science + environment, Vital transformations Mauri Ora, Unrealism, (2018). JD Reid Gallery, Koru on Devon Gallery, Devon and Liardet Popup Gallery, New Plymouth. District Council commission for three simultaneous exhibitions.

Bird song light walk, (2016). Motion-activated LED and audio artwork for the Festival of Lights New Plymouth.

Wai, (2012). Curatorial project for Machine Wilderness ISEA 2012 Albuquerque.

Te Kore travelling, (2011). Commissioned for Cultura Digital MOMA Rio de Janeiro,

Te Kore Rongo Hungaora (the group of people who seek balance in nature), (2011). Curatorial project for Uncontainable ISEA 2011 Istanbul.

The Park Speaks, (2010-2011). Live environmental data generates spoken phrases in the installation. Commissioned for What if at Puke Ariki Museum New Zealand.

Haiku Robots, (2009). Autonomous robotic cars and location data dynamically create word lists for Taranaki culture commissioned by Puke Ariki Museum.

Branch on branch v3.1, (2005). Human Interface Technology Lab commission for Converge 05, Christchurch Conference Centre.

Peer-reviewed exhibition catalogues

Benboubakeur, M. (2020). ISEA 2020: Why Sentience? Montreal: Printemps Numerique.

Soh Yong, R. (2019). ISEA 2019: Lux Aeternae. Seoul: Art Centre Nabi. 

Conservatorio Di Musica Luigi Cherubini. (2016). Diffrazione 2016 Firenze Multimedia Festival. Florence: Segni Digitali Multimedia Production Lab.

Lopez, F. & Dal Farra, R. (2016). 15^th International Festival of the Image and Balance-Unbalance. Manizales: University of Caldas.

Sbarge, S. (2012). ISEA 2012: Machine Wilderness. Santa Fe: Radius Books.

Aceti, L. (2011). ISEA 2011: Uncontainable. Istanbul: Sabancı University and Goldsmiths, University of London.  

Mey, K., Loughran, G., & Driver, C. (2009). ISEA 2009: 15^th International Symposium on Electronic Art.

Dietz, S. (2009). Superlight. San Jose: Zer01.

Goldsmith, S. (2009). Taranaki Culture: fresh out of the box. New Plymouth: Puke Ariki

Fraenkel, E. & Sansolo, C. (2005). prog:ME First International Festival of Electronic Art catalogue. Rio De Janeiro: Bia Venue.

Lee, K. & Levy, M. (2004). New Forms Festival catalogue. Vancouver: New Forms Media Society.

Makela, T. & Tralla, M. (2004). ISEA 12th International Symposium on Electronic Art. Helsinki: m-cult.

Peer-reviewed papers

Clothier, P I. (2021). One multiplicity: Sound, Science, Technology, and Culture in Grant, J, Matthais, J, Prior, D. (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Sound Art. New York: Oxford University Press.

Clothier, I. (2015). Water from a hybrid Polynesian perspective in Fuks, S (Ed.) Water views: caring and daring. Annerley, Queensland, Australia: Igneous Incorporated. ISBN: 978-0-9925610-0-0.

Clothier, I. (2014). The Changing Boundaries of Knowledge Between Māori Awareness and Western Sciencein Leonardo Volume 47 Number 5.

Clothier, I (2012). Cultural bridging, art-science and Aotearoa New Zealandin Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research. Volume 10, Issue 1.

Clothier, I (2008). Leonardo, nonlinearity and integrated systemsin Leonardo Volume 41 Number 1 pp. 49-55.

Clothier, I. (2007). Formen der Reprasentation: Hybride Kulturen, Nonlinearitat und creative Verfahren (Forms of Representation: Hybrid Culture, Nonlinearity and Creative Practice). In Kroncke, M; Mey, K & Spielmann, Y. (Eds.) Kultureller Umbau: Räume, Identitäten, Re/Präsentationen (Cultural Reconstruction: Spaces, Identities, Re/Presentations). Bielefeld: Transcript. ISBN 978-3-89942-556-7.

Clothier, I. (2005).Created identities: hybrid cultures and the internet in Convergence Volume 11 Number 4 p 44-59; London, Thousand Oaks and New Delhi:Sage Publications