By Theo Schoon

Theo Schoon was a notable figure in 20th-century New Zealand art.

The son of Dutch parents, Theo Schoon was born in Indonesia and came to live and work in New Zealand in 1939, aged 24. He drew on Indonesian art influences throughout his long career, and he became one of the first European artists in New Zealand to use customary Mâori patterns and motifs in their work. Schoon’s characteristic blend of European modernism with inspiration from Mâori art had a major impact on New Zealand art in the mid-twentieth century.