Born in Auckland in Aotearoa New Zealand in 1967, Brett Graham creates large-scale sculptures and installations that investigate the contested colonial histories of his Maōri homeland—chiefly the subjugation of Indigenous land and culture. In this interview, Graham emphasized the importance of Indigenous knowledge when it comes to tackling the climate emergency, as well as the influence of his father, the sculptor Fred Graham.

Along with your father, you were one of several artists from Aotearoa New Zealand to exhibit work in the 60th Venice Biennale. How did you both respond to this year’s curatorial theme of “Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere”?