Trusttum/Twiss

Philip Trusttum is one of New Zealand's most recognised contemporary painters of major works. Trusttum graduated with a Diploma in Fine Arts from the University of Canterbury School of Art in 1964. In 1967 he travelled on a Queen Elizabeth 11 Arts Council scholarship, since then has travelled and worked in Europe and North America. He was part of ANZART at the Edinburgh Arts Festival, 1984 - the same year he exhibited on New York's 57th Street at the Jill Kornblee Gallery. He has shown in Sydney, New York, Melbourne, Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch since then. In 1998 he was the only New Zealand artist reviewed in the New York Times. Philip Trusttum is represented in all major public and private collections within New Zealand.

Greer Twiss graduated with honours from Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland University in 1959. In 1965, Twiss was awarded a study grant that gave him the opportunity him to travel to Britain and Europe where he studied the lost-wax process as seen in his early, smaller bronzes. In 1966, Twiss was appointed to a lecturing position at Elam where he became head of sculpture. Besides teaching, Twiss has maintained a prominent sculpture practice, receiving awards such as public commissions in Auckland and an invitation as guest contributor to the sculpture park at the Seoul Olympics. From maquettes to public sculpture, Twiss' art is a vernacular expression of what he knows and observes around him and his sculptures usually retain figurative aspect. Twiss has worked in a number of mediums including lead and fibreglass, but he is best known for the tactile bronzes, which he appears to set in motion by strategically angling the works on small bases. Twiss' sculpture is included in public and private collections in New Zealand including Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki and Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand. His work is also represented in numerous international public and private collections.