The Storyteller
$550,000 NZD
This painting is more than just an image on a canvas—it’s the embodiment of a lifelong journey. A journey through the stories of the land, through the voices of the elders, and through the rhythm of the earth itself. It’s the culmination of a vision that has lived in me for years, and it’s the one that completes the circle. This is the ultimate Maori storyteller, and he is no ordinary figure.
Darcy Nicholas
The Artist:
Darcy Nicholas (QSO)
Darcy Nicholas — The Ultimate Maori Storyteller: A Journey Across Time, Cultures, and Worlds
From the moment I set my brush to canvas, I knew this would be the final piece in a series that I had poured my heart and soul into. The years spent in the company of elders, the years spent in the presence of story and history, have culminated in this one moment. He’s not just a character; he’s mana—he’s presence, power, and wisdom wrapped in the colors of the Earth Mother and the Sky Father.
I often think about what makes a good painting. Many today settle for the decorative and illustrative, but real painting is about feeling—the rush of inspiration, the heartbeat of the artist, the energy in each brushstroke. This painting is the closest I’ve ever come to capturing that energy, that mana.
The story of this storyteller began long before this piece ever took form. As a child, I was surrounded by storytellers. I was one of twelve siblings, the youngest of them all, and we didn’t have a television. Instead, we had the warmth of our elders’ voices, and every night, they would spin tales that took us into the heart of who we were as Maori people. They spoke of the Land Wars, of our ancestors, and of the deeper connections that bind us to the land and the sky. These stories shaped me. They shaped the way I see the world, and they shaped my art.
As I grew older, my life took me far beyond the shores of Aotearoa, to places that only deepened my understanding of what it means to be a storyteller. I traveled extensively, earning a Fulbright to study Native American and African American cultures. What I found was a world rich with storytellers, each one as unique and powerful as the landscapes they came from. I witnessed their ability to transform the room, to move the audience with nothing more than words and spirit.
But this storyteller—the one in the painting—is different. This storyteller has seen the world, has lived through generations of hardship, triumph, and wisdom. This storyteller’s journey has taken him from the far reaches of Australia, among the Aboriginal peoples, to the heart of America, where Native Americans and African Americans continue to keep their stories alive. From Canada’s indigenous peoples to the shores of Africa, from Japan to the bustling cities of Europe—this storyteller has witnessed and absorbed the power of human history, culture, and identity across the globe.
To paint this storyteller, I had to reach back to the core of my own being, to the mindset of a child—to reconnect with the purity of vision that Pablo Picasso spoke about. In order for this man to come to life, he had to walk into the room as if he were real. If you were to see him, you’d feel it—his life, his wisdom, his stories. They’re in the colors of the earth, the textures of the land, and the spirit in his eyes.
He is a man who has lived through everything—through the struggles of his people and the triumphs of their survival. He carries the weight of history in his bones, but he also carries the hope and resilience of a culture that refuses to fade away.
When you stand before this painting, you’re not just looking at a work of art. You’re meeting a man who has been everywhere—who has seen the world and carries its stories with him. This is a storyteller who transcends time and place. He is both the past and the future. He is the spirit of a people, the strength of a culture, and the wisdom of generations.
This painting is the key to unlocking that energy. It’s an invitation into a world of colour, history, and mana. It’s a moment frozen in time, but it’s also a doorway to everything that came before and everything that will come after. If you ever wondered what it feels like to meet a true storyteller, to feel the weight of their presence, this is your chance. He’s waiting for you.
Will you listen to his story?
Award winning Contemporary Māori Artist
Darcy Nicholas has been a part of the Contemporary Maori Art movement since the late 1960’s. During this time he has exhibited throughout New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Canada, Africa, India, Japan, and Europe, as well as directing major touring shows representing Maori Art to many of those countries.
Darcy was made a Fellowship of The New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts in 2024. The Fellowship is a very high honour given to only one other Maori artist in their 135 years of existence. There are only six living fellow members.