Colleen Waata-Urlich ONZM  was a pioneering Māori clay artist and educator whose work explored whakapapa, wāhine Māori narratives, and Pacific ancestral connections through ceramic form.

Urlich was known for her richly textured and deeply researched ceramic works, often drawing from Lapita pottery traditions, Polynesian migration, and carved whare wānanga forms. Her practice was grounded in mātauranga Māori and a deep commitment to Indigenous knowledge systems, which she brought to life through hand-built and pit-fired clay vessels, wall works, and sculptural installations.

As a founding member of Ngā Kaihanga Uku, the Māori clay artists’ collective, she helped establish and elevate the medium as a powerful vehicle for Māori storytelling and identity. Urlich exhibited widely in Aotearoa and internationally, and mentored many artists and researchers through her art, writing, and teaching.

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