Karl Chitham (Ngā Puhi, Te Uriroroi) has been a champion for the arts in New Zealand for over 20 years. In June 2023, he received an Order of New Zealand Merit for services to art, particularly Māori Art. Chitham trained as an artist and educator, and has held curatorial roles in universities, museums and public galleries including as director and curator at Tauranga Art Gallery before becoming Director of the Dowse Art Museum, and Head of Arts and Culture for Hutt City. He is a trustee of Wairau Māori Art Gallery in the Hundertwasser Art Centre in Whangārei, the first dedicated public Māori art gallery in Aotearoa. He has worked on numerous curatorial projects including recent indigenous projects for Malta Biennale, Te Tuhi, City Gallery, Wellington, and The Dowse. He was co-author of Crafting Aotearoa and has written essays for a number of publications including a recent monograph on the work and career of Reuben Paterson.