Sheldon Warren
Ko Whitireia te maunga Ko Raukawa t e moana
Ko Tainui te Waka
Ko Ngãti Toa Rangatira te iwi
Ko Ngāti Kimihia te hapu
Ko Takapuwahia, ko Hongoeka te marae
Ko Toa Rangatira te whare tupuna Ko Sheldon Warren ahau
Artist Statement
Sheldon is a Māori artist and a current student at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa (Massey University Wellington) whose creative practice is grounded in whakapapa, wellbeing, and reconnection to whenua and whānau. Working primarily with uku, Sheldon forms rei uku that explore identity, belonging, and the process of returning to one's tūrangawaewae.
Born in Porirua and raised in Hawke’s Bay, where she attended school throughout her childhood, Sheldon later returned to Porirua to complete her studies and reconnect with her people and ancestral lands. Her work a reflection of these personal journeys of healing and cultural rediscovery. Her creative process is deeply influenced by the guidance of the atua and her tīpuna, and by the ideas that art can be a vessel for hauora, pūrakau, and whakapapa.
Uku has not always been her initial medium of choice for Sheldon; in fact, it is a relatively new identity within her creative practice. Having worked with a range of mediums throughout school and her early years at Massey University, she often felt that something was missing, a yearning for connection within the medium she was working with and a source of inspiration from within her own culture.
Four years ago, Sheldon was introduced to uku while creating works for a small jewellery business and attending beginner ceramic classes in Hawkes Bay. Ngaru, Sheldon’s first collection provided an opportunity to expand her thinking and knowledge, reconnecting with the creative threads within Te Ao Māori. While her pervious collection was a beginning vessel, her emerging collections are informed by Mātauranga and toi Māori and continue to delve deeper into the whakapapa of uku and the atua connected to the whenua.
Sheldon completed a Bachelor of Design at Massey University, where she developed foundational skills in creative practice, critical thinking, and visual storytelling. Returning to complete this degree marked an important milestone in her personal and creative journey. It was a time of reconnection not only to study, but to her people, her purpose, and the pathways she hopes to create for the future of her people. The knowledge and confidence gained through this degree laid the groundwork for her current work with uku and her ongoing postgraduate research.
Currently completing a Master’s degree, Sheldon’s research focuses on the role of creating rei uku as a pathway to strengthening Māori hauora and cultural identity. Through both making and teaching, she aims to support others in reconnecting with their own stories and cultural knowledge. Sheldon aspires to become a teacher, using art as a tool to empower rangatahi and communities to see themselves reflected in their creativity, their culture, and their whenua. Her work honours the past while nurturing pathways for future generations.