Dr Jonathan Mane-Wheoki CNZM  was a distinguished Māori art historian, curator, and academic whose work profoundly shaped the understanding and appreciation of Māori and Pacific art in Aotearoa.

Mane-Wheoki combined deep cultural knowledge with rigorous scholarship to elevate Māori art within academic and museum contexts. He held significant leadership roles including Head of Art History at the University of Auckland and Director of the Auckland Art Gallery, where he championed Māori artists and promoted indigenous perspectives.

His writing, teaching, and curatorial projects foregrounded kaupapa Māori approaches, bringing visibility and critical recognition to Māori visual arts nationally and internationally. Through his mentorship and advocacy, Mane-Wheoki contributed lasting insight into the cultural and spiritual dimensions of Māori creative expression.

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