Carl Thorwald Laugesen (1900 - 1987) was born in Marton. He left school at the age of 13 and studied at Canterbury School of Art in the 1920s. He worked as a poster designer and commercial artist in Wellington, spent three years in the New Zealand Army Home Service, and taught for eight years at Wellington Technical College School of Art. After WWII he became a professional painter, specialising in landscapes and portraits of Maori women, giving particular attention to their moko.