Sheyne Tuffery works across a variety of practices including painting, printmaking, murals and animation. Perhaps best known for the dynamic style of his prints and woodcuts, Tuffery’s works often envision Polynesia as a futuristic urban utopia. In his work he explores the coming together of cultures, creating and representing his own cultural context and the dynamism of a multi-cultural society.

In this suite of works Tuffery explores the romantic depiction of Polynesian chief in a Western art historical style, particularly in Kaneena… (after Webber ), akin to that of John Webber, official artist on Captain Cook's fourth and fatal voyage. In 2006, Wellington-based artist Sheyne Tuffery became a Samoan chief, a matai. Tuffery says: ‘To have a title bestowed on me seemed very foreign, especially because I don’t live in Samoa, don’t speak Samoan and don’t live the fa’asamoa way.’ Ghost in the Machine, Tuffery’s 2013 exhibition at City Gallery Wellington, explored the contemporary meaning of this traditional title.

Tuffery received a Bachelor of Visual Arts from AUT in 1995 and a Master of Fine Arts (honours) in 2000 from The University of Auckland. Since graduating, Tuffery has received a number of awards, residencies and commissions. His works are held in many public collections in New Zealand and the USA. Sheyne also notably founded and directed LeSa Gallery in Petone from 2007 and 2012, an important dealer gallery for Pacific artists. His recognisable print-making aesthetic can be seen in murals around the Wellington region. In 2020 Tuffery was awarded Artist-in-Residence for 3 months at the Thomas King Observatory in the Wellington Botanic Gardens.