About the Artist
I have been sculpting full time since 2003, working primarily with a variety of hard and soft stone and wood.
My work has been strongly influenced by my dual New Zealand Maori and European heritage and the impact of those cultures in contemporary New Zealand society. How we draw on our ancestry, and our past for strength and inspiration and how that shapes what we create in our lives is a very individual journey. Part of my journey is expressed in my work.
I spent the first 20 years of my working life as a brush trained signwriter, which was then a job with a significant artistic / design element. However, that work became largely computer driven over time and computers are not my thing! I later enrolled in an art and design diploma course at Waiariki Institute of Technology looking for inspiration and direction. There I found whakairo (carving) and then modern sculptural form, working with stone and chisel (no computers in sight). I left before completing the “paper work”, but with the direction I had been looking for.
In 2011 my interest turned to working with native reclaimed timbers which bring with them their own histories evidenced through their unique imperfections and wear. I like to introduce colour with texture in the wood pieces, giving a strong design element which harks back to my brush- work and paint history.
In July 2012 we moved to a 2 hectare property in Tikitere Rotorua where I built my new studio from which I can now run classes and have developed the grounds into a gallery and sculpture garden featuring my work and the works of a number of NZ artists. This is a long term project which has been a huge commitment and learning curve, but a very enjoyable one. The feedback I get from the many visitors to our property has been very rewarding.
Ka Kite.
Trevor Nathan