Nestled deep in the coastal foothills of the Waitākare ranges, McCahon House embodies some of Auckland’s most vital historical narratives. It stands now—as it did for McCahon— as a place where art, society and the natural environment converge. The house retains the hand-tooled additions and innovations made by McCahon himself. As a vibrant example of New Zealand vernacular architecture (a bach), it’s a natural extension of his paintings.

The McCahon House project provides a context for interest in McCahon which is quite different from anything which is currently available, because it is grounded in the actual circumstances of where and how he lived, it provides a point of entry and identification for a wider audience, including those who might find McCahon’s paintings challenging or unfamiliar.

McCahon was a gifted teacher who made an important contribution to the lives of many New Zealand artists through classes at the Auckland Art Gallery during the 1950s and later at the Elam School of Fine Arts. He was an admired and respected mentor to many of the young and emerging artists of that time. It is only fitting that this project not only recognises McCahon and his work but also offers an opportunity for other artists to develop their careers through a fully supported residency programme.

The seven years that Colin McCahon (1919-87) lived in Titirangi, from 1953 to 1960 (aged 34-40), encompassed the watershed of his career as a painter, both chronologically and in terms of his artistic evolution.