Java Bentley

Java Bentley is a sculptural installation artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. She is the current Curator and Exhibitions Manager at Corban Estate Arts Centre. Bentley holds a Master of Māori Visual Arts (First Class Honours) from Toioho ki Āpiti (2024) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) with a conjoint in Art History from Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland (2018).

Her whakapapa connects to Kaitāia and the Hokianga in Te Tai Tokerau through her mother’s tūpuna, who later settled in Tāmaki Makaurau. On her father’s side, her gafa traces back to Faatoia in Sāmoa, voyaging across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa to Aotearoa. Many of the stories that make up her lineage remain in the realm of the unknown — a space of ideas unbound by constraints. Since her father’s passing, Bentley has devoted her practice to serving this space, creating pathways for her nieces to connect the dots and carve out new, innovative journeys.

In 2023, she returned to her family home after a three-month curatorial and artist residency with Heerz Tooya in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. On her way back to Aotearoa, she attended the Venice Biennale Straniero Ovunque, where she was inspired by the powerful presence and embrace of Indigenous and Pasifika artists from Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.

Project Summary

Contributor – My Grandmother is my School: Ancestral Lines and Embodied Knowledges | Tate Modern | London, United Kingdom

This November, Java will accompany Mataaho Collective to London, United Kingdom, supported by Tautai’s Artists Across Borders fund. Invited by the Collective, Bentley will contribute to My Grandmother is my School: Ancestral Lines and Embodied Knowledges, a symposium at Tate Modern bringing together leading practitioners, curators, and researchers to exchange knowledge around the intergenerational transmission of Indigenous and cultural practices.

During the symposium, Bentley will assist with preparations, documentation, and practical support, and contribute a piece of writing amplifying Indigenous voices and kaupapa. Following the programme, she will remain in London for self-directed research, visiting galleries and museums, and connecting with artists and curators, including members of the Interis*land Collective. This opportunity will allow Bentley to engage deeply with London’s creative sector, build connections with Pasifika creatives abroad, and further develop her artistic and curatorial practice.