Nigel John Floyd Borell (born 1973) is a New Zealand MÃÂori artist, curator, and MÃÂori art advocate. He curated the exhibition Toi Tà « Toi Ora: Contemporary MÃÂori Art at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o TÃÂmaki in 2020, the largest exhibition since they opened. In 2021 the Art Foundation of New Zealand created an award (He Momo â A Moment in Time Award) to acknowledge the work of Borell in this exhibition.
Borell was born in 1973 and grew up in à ÂtÃÂhuhu and Manurewa in South Auckland. He is a twin and has two older siblings. Borell is MÃÂori of PirirÃÂkau, NgÃÂi Te Rangi, NgÃÂti Ranginui, and Te Whakatà Âhea descent.
His early influences include artist Cliff Whiting and the Peter Gossage series of MÃÂui illustrated books. He completed a Bachelor of MÃÂori Visual Arts at Massey University in Palmerston North in 2000. There he studied under Robert Jahnke, Kura Te Waru Rewiri, Shane Cotton and the Toioho ki Apiti programme. He followed this by completing a Master of Fine Arts at Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland in 2003. He has hands-on experience in MÃÂori arts, working on three meeting house projects under tohunga whakaio Pakariki (Paki) Harrison 1995-2000 and kowhaiwhai artist Peter Boyd, and has been influenced by MÃÂori curators Megan Tamati-Quennell and Ngahiraka Mason.
Borell was Associate Curator MÃÂori Art at Auckland War Memorial Museum TÃÂmaki Paenga Hira from 2013-2015 and Curator MÃÂori Art at Auckland Art Gallery from 2015-2020. At the gallery he worked for years on the largest exhibition since the gallery opened over 130 years ago called . It featured work by 111 MÃÂori artists and brought in more visitors than any other exhibition since 1989. The documentary of the exhibition is by Chelsea Winstanley. Borell resigned from his role at the art gallery in late October, leaving 23 December 2020 two weeks after Toi Tà « Toi Ora opened stating that there was a lack of control awarded to him in the lead up and calling for 'colonial institutions to share power more equally'.
In 2022 it was announced he would return to Auckland War Memorial Museum as Curator Taonga MÃÂori, the role previously held by Chanel Clarke. Borell is a trustee and curator of The Wairau MÃÂori Art Gallery in the Hundertwasser Building in WhangÃÂrei, the first public MÃÂori art gallery solely dedicated to profiling MÃÂori artists and curators.
BorellâÂÂs meetinghouse projects include: The kowhaiwhai and mural work for "Te Pou Herenga Waka' meetinghouse, James Cook High School Marae, Manurewa (1993-94) The kowhaiwhai and mural work for "Matukurua" meetinghouse Manurewa Marae, Manurewa (1994âÂÂ95) The papaka kowhaiwhai panels for "Rakairoa" meetinghouse Harataunga Marae, Kennedy Bay, Coromandel (1995âÂÂ96) The kowhaiwhai rafter panels for "Kete Uruuru Matua" meetinghouse NgàKete WÃÂnanga Marae, (1999-2000) Manukau Institute of Technology, à Âtara. The kowhaiwhai rafter panels for "Te Puna Matauranga" meetinghouse Northtec Marae, WhangÃÂrei (2015) The kowhaiwhai panels - assisting Saffronn Te Ratana for "Te Whaioranga o Te Whaiao" meetinghouse Te Rau Karamu Marae, Massey University Wellington (2016-2018)
Borell, N (Ed). Toi Tà « Toi Ora: Contemporary MÃÂori Art, Penguin Random House New Zealand; 202
Borell, N. MÃÂori Art: From the Margins to the Centre. In: Nagam, J; Tamati-Quennell, M & Lane, C (Eds), Becoming Our Future, Global Indigenous Curatorial Practice , ARP Books, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. 2020
Borell, N. He Whariki Toi, He Whariki Tangata. In: Friend, R (Ed), Toi Koru - Sandy Adsett. Pataka Museum and Art Gallery, 2021.
Borell, N. The MÃÂori Portraits, Scenes of MÃÂori Life and Custom. In: Mason, N & Stanhope, Z (Eds), Gottfried LindauerâÂÂs New Zealand: The MÃÂori Portraits. Auckland University Press, 2016.
Borell, N. NgÃÂ Momo Whakaaro -Kura Te Waru Rewiri. In Mason, N (Ed), Five MÃÂori Painters. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, 2014.
Te Atinga: 25 years of Contemporary MÃÂori Art. Wellington, New Zealand: Toi Maori Aotearoa, 2013.
Borell, N Ed). Kura: Story of a Maori Woman Artist. Mangere Arts Centre- Nga Tohu o Uenuku, 2012.