Creating with Kauri

Part One of our Maker Series of Exhibitions.
11 June - 30 September
Kauri Museum Gallery

Nineteen amazing artworks crafted from a single piece of kauri timber given to each exhibitor with an open ended invitation to create any type of work. Furniture, sculpture, jewellery, musical instruments, decorative pieces.

Featured artists;
Amber Brownlie, Dennise Brownlie, Topaz Brownlie, Guy Bucchi, Mike Cameron, Todd Cobbin, Stephen Davies, Susan Dinkelacker, John Ecuyer, Sharone Hale, Thomas Hansen, Robyn Harper, Granville Haworth, Jordan Lloyd, Richard Moore, Craig Revell, Elijah Revell, Ramon Richardson, David Sarich, Matthew L Smith, Matthew Smith, Nick Tetzner, and Jed Town.

*Header image credit;
Te Hurihangaamataaho

(The overturning of Papatuuaanuku the earth mother by Mataaho)
by Thomas Hansen

Kauri is unparalleled as a timber for carving, cabinetry and building. The hardest of the soft woods with a clean, straight grain make it a gift for the woodworker’s tools. The timber has its own inner glow that shines through every piece in the Creating with Kauri exhibition.

The makers, whose work is displayed in this exhibition, were each given a piece of kauri timber from The Kauri Museum timber stack. With a varied mix of sizes, the timber planks were allocated to each participant by ballot. Upon receipt, they were invited to create a piece for the exhibition using the timber in any way they chose.

Originally conceived as a way to remember the inspirational mastercarver Ewan Macdonald, the makers who accepted the challenge to Create with Kauri, have fashioned pieces that highlight the versatility of the timber and the value of well honed skills to craft the material into a work of art.

Ewan Macdonald, who emigrated from Scotland, via Canada, in 1960, and gained employment at a carving factory in South Auckland producing wooden souvenir products. Ewan contnued to hone his craft, moving to a greenstone carving factor in Avondale. Greenstone became his medium of choice. He had an affinity for greenstone and timber along with an understanding of the importance of passing on knowledge. Whilst living at Tinopai, on the northern reaches of the Kaipara Harbour, he established an informal carving school. Locals, and international visitors, passed through this school and emerged with skills and knowledge gained from Ewan’s long obsession with the art of carving.

Ewan took part in a number of Matariki exhibitions at The Kauri Museum, and we hold a piece in the Museum collection created by Ewan for one of these displays. We were saddened to hear of Ewan’s passing in June 2018, at the season of Matariki. This year’s Matariki seemed the perfect opportunity to celebrate Ewan’s carving skill, through his own work and those whom he mentored, as well as other makers who actively share their knowledge with others. This exhibition acknowledges the importance of the passing of skills and understanding to a new generation.

The Kauri Museum would like to thank Mrs Raewyn Macdonald for generously loaning examples of Ewan’s carving, and sharing his story.

We also grateful to the makers for their enthusiasim for this project: A number of the works are for sale.