Robert is a graduate of Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, where he studied graphic and industrial design. He worked as a graphic designer before training as a secondary visual art specialist. He taught for a number of years in South Auckland, including four years as Head of Art at Hillary College.

Robert has tribal affiliations with Ngāpuhi and has a particular interest in issues surrounding the teaching of Māori Art at all educational levels. He has been involved in curriculum development in design education and Māori Art education and has presented papers and workshops in the teaching of Māori Visual Culture at national and international conferences.

Robert teaches visual arts courses in the Bachelor of Education (Teaching) primary specialisation and post-graduate courses in Māori Art Education, Multicultural Art Education and a number of media-focused courses.

Robert is a member of the International Society for Education through Art (InSEA) and the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Art Educators (ANZAAE).

Research and creative outputs

Robert has recently been involved in developing resource booklets for the Ministry of Education on teaching Māori Visual Culture for years 7-10 and for years 1-6 and in 2006 he co-presented the paper Culturally Inclusive Arts Education in Aotearoa/New Zealand at the UNESCO Conference on Arts Education in Lisbon.

Robert is a co-author of Painting my Teacher Blue, A Handbook for Teachers of Art in Primary Classrooms. In 2008 he will be working with a number of teachers and art educators on a follow-up publication which will explore how the visual arts can be used to confront, challenge and support some of the issues encountered in Aotearoa/New Zealand’s culturally diverse classrooms.