Troy Rata

Maori

Troy Rata is an emerging artist with Maori roots of both Ngāpuhi and Te Āti Awa sub tribe Taranaki. Rata was born in Australia and has been living in Port Alberni since 1995.

His involvement in the arts started with an interest in music and progressed to woodworking skills honed at Alberni District Secondary School and later as a Red Seal certified carpenter graduating from Camosun Interurban College. Rata spent five years working on commercial and residential carpentry projects and sought out opportunities that allowed him to incorporate fine details and creativity.

In 2017 Rata began working as Gordon Dick’s apprentice, learning about the Nuu-chah-nulth artistic tradition and being part of collaborative woodcarving projects such as Alert Bay’s Cranmer Memorial Totem Pole with artists Kevin Cranmer, Erich Glendale, John Livingston, and Gordon Dick.

As an artist, Rata enjoys the fluid process and unlimited possibilities that separates art from skilled trade. He is influenced by the timeless craftsmanship of woodworking techniques from North West Coast, Maori, and Japanese cultures. The challenges of new projects are met as opportunities to continue growing as an artist, and Rata is motivated by the sense of accomplishment from finishing each work of art.