Of Italian, Spanish, Scottish and Irish descent, Greg (Chiaroni) McDonald was born in the rich and mystical area of Murihiku in Southland. He was raised with the knowledge of whakapapa (family history), of tipuna (ancestors), and a responsibility to honour the legacy of all his cultures.
His gift of skill with brush and chisel can be traced to his Great, Great Grandfather Mansuelo Chiaroni, who in 1863 moved to Invercargill.
Chiaroni’s work has always been heavily influenced by the time and place where he grew up. The whenua (the people) and memories from his childhood to becoming an adult and then a parent. Through his work he hopes to visually connect with his audience in a way that creates feeling and takes them back to a moment in time, a feeling, a memory, or a place of happiness in their minds.
Chiaroni will have works in one of the eight houses on the Tour.
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