Born in Auckland in 1976 with Croatian heritage, Brad Novak is a self-taught professional artist exploring the combination of colour, shape, and contrast through a fresh and distinctive style. His original paintings on canvas are created through purposeful over-layering of designated masked areas with repeated layers of paint. Following in the footsteps of several top NZ artists he has also begun creating limited edition fine art screen prints on archival paper through collaboration with Auckland-based printer Artrite. Achieving a balanced composition, omission of any obvious light source and high quality finishing are characteristic features of his unique artwork, which has been acquired by collectors both locally and overseas. Topping the list of his recent significant achievements, Brad has been chosen by a North Island iwi to create a 20+ metre panelled painting for a Whare on their Marae. In January 2009 he will be travelling with Kaumatua to their important spiritual and ancestral mountains and rivers to learn about Tikanga and their Whakapapa. "Being chosen is an honour that I will value for the rest of my life. However, this project is far bigger than any individual - it will forever link my Whakapapa with that of the Hapus.” His first limited edition screen print (‘Tiki with Danaus Plexippus Wings 1.1’) was inspired by his learning as an adult about the early history of Aotearoa/New Zealand before and after European settlement. “I have named the Monarch Butterfly, introduced to NZ in the late 19th century, by its scientific name (Danaus Plexippus) not only as a nod to my own background (and ongoing work in medicine/science) but as a tribute to the often overlooked or misrepresented reality of Maori history (and indeed the history of all NZ). I wanted to acknowledge the determination of Maori to continue sustaining and cultivating their culture and language in Aotearoa today in the face of colonisation.” Brad’s second print (‘Rangitoto 1.2’) has been dedicated to his grandfather (nicknamed ‘Gargar’) who was a special person to Brad and is forever linked to memories of this volcano overlooking the Hauraki Gulf and Auckland city.