“This book is a comprehensive analysis that sets out to recalibrate the history of Māori art by rebalancing the gaps and Eurocentric focus of earlier writing. The format, with key chapters (kete) interspersed with breakout boxes focusing on specific artists and events, drives the kaupapa of the book forward, reinforcing a broadly chronological framework that nevertheless emphasises non-linearity, dynamism, and change. The deployment of ancestral stories, chants, and whakataukī to introduce chapters and sections draws together multiple strands to create a richly layered and relational landscape (whakapapa) for Māori arts. Ka mau te wehi! An outstanding contribution to Māori culture, arts, and creativity—it is a great read.”

Anna-Marie White (Te Atiawa), Toi Maori Aotearoa: Maori Arts New Zealand

“This book sets out to recalibrate the history of Māori art through whenua, tikanga, and whakapapa. The format, with key chapters split into three sections (kete), each focusing on a distinct time period, works well to drive the kaupapa of the book forward, giving a broadly chronological framework that nevertheless emphasizes non-linearity, dynamism, and change. The deployment of tribal traditions, stories, chants, and whakataukī to introduce chapters and sections draws together many different strands to create a layered landscape and whakapapa of the arts. It is a great read.”

Maia Nuku (Ngai Tai), curator of Oceanic art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

“Toi Te Mana is a historic and groundbreaking text. It is an invaluable tool for Indigenous arts globally and represents ‘best practice’ in the field. The research and findings will be central to those of my generation and our students as we craft an Indigenous art history.”

Nancy Mithlo, University of California, Los Angeles

“This book provides an Indigenous account of Māori art, authored by Māori art historians, employing art historical methods, while highlighting its status as one of the foremost global art traditions. The authors hold considerable esteem in our field, which is reflected in the originality and irrefutable high level of scholarship of their work. They have integrated ancestral history and worldwide collections into a unified and meticulously researched and referenced book. The work is admirable in every respect.”

Jennifer J. Wagelie, director of cultural development and equity initiatives, California State University, Sacramento

"Toi Te Mana is a cultural feat ruminating on the luxurious depth and breadth of Māori art. From waka to painting to bodies, Brown, Ellis and Mane-Wheoki expertly fill each kete with insights, histories and analysis. This is a one-in-a-generation book."

Lana Lopesi, University of Oregon

"Toi Te Mana is an outstanding publication that brings to fruition the work of two exceptional Māori scholars and their visionary collaborator, the late Māori art historian Jonathan Mane-Wheoki. The book is not only a landmark in Māori art history, it challenges us to reconceive the entire narrative of art and modernity from the perspective of Indigenous cultures worldwide."

Peter Brunt, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington