Guy Ngan was a New Zealand artist. He worked across a large range of media, including sculpture, painting, drawing, design and architecture, and is known for his incorporation of M?ori motifs such as the tiki. Many of his works are in prominent places, such as the tapestry in the Beehive and sculpture at the Reserve Bank, while many others are dotted around the country in smaller towns and suburban locations such as Stokes Valley.
He was born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1926, to Chinese parents Wai Yin and Chin Ting. He was educated at Wellington Technical College, where he studied sculpture and wood carving. After leaving school, he worked as a cabinet maker and furniture maker. In 1944, he joined the New Zealand Army and served in the Pacific during World War II. After the war, he returned to New Zealand and resumed his studies at Wellington Technical
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College. In 1950, he won a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Art in London, where he graduated in 1954 with a Diploma in Design.
After returning to New Zealand, Ngan worked as a designer for the New Zealand Ministry of Works. In 1956, he set up his own design studio in Wellington. In 1960, he was appointed a lecturer in sculpture at the University of Auckland. He held this position until 1965, when he returned to Wellington to set up his own pottery studio.
Ngan's pottery is known for its bold use of color and its geometric forms. He often incorporated M?ori motifs into his work, such as the tiki. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, and he is represented in the collections of the Auckland Art Gallery, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and the National Gallery of Victoria.
In 1983, Ngan was awarded an OBE for services to the arts. He died in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, in 2017.
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