Portfolio of Works

‘Inanimate Structures’

Inanimate structures from around the world that are imbued with emotion, sentiment and myth.

‘Block Play’ - 2023

cast glass

Block Play relates to those children with and without learning disabilities and captures the emotional and psychological experiences that they encounter as they mature into adulthood.

Naisiae (Nay-zee) - 2022

meaning “hard working one”

Fused glass

In 1995 I backpacked through Egypt, Jordan and Israel and then down the East Coast of Africa - from Kenya through to Cape Town! During my four month journey I really fell in love with the African continent. It is a place where I felt that if I lay down on the soil for long enough - I would simply melt right back into the origins of humanity. It's a continent that just seems to stay in your cells.

Naisiae is an expression of my Africa - a small piece of one of the cultures i experienced there. It's a bit of Maasai that I only got to taste, and one I don't profess to really understand - but one that I thought was worth showing to the world. Naisiae stands at 1.65 m high and is representative of the Shuka (sarong) and traditiional neckpiece worn by the Maasai women.

‘Balance’ - 2022

cast glass

Balance I, II and III are an exploration in the process of glass finishing. This process involves cutting, grinding, sanding and polishing the glass to achieve different finishes.

As a glass artist, the ongoing dialogue in your head becomes "How much time to time do I spend working on a piece? When do I stop? When is a piece overworked or underworked?” I believe these are questions that artists of any medium ask themselves and the struggle is to find the ‘balance’.

“Wired and Fired” - 2021 - 2023

cast glass bowls

Wired and Fired grew out of an Auckland workshop that I did in 2019 with one of New Zealand’s best know glass casters - Evelyn Dunstan. Using wire inclusions was originally experimental but then i became fascinated with the different ways you could embed wire into cast glass forms. Although I had done a bit of casting before, it was really this workshop that set me on the path to making more sculptural and 3D type art forms. Evelyn was an amazing teacher - very giving of her knowledge and time - and she continues to answer all of my casting questions when things go wrong (and that can still be often!). I’m forever grateful for having experienced her as a teacher. Her own work is amazing and pre-covid, she frequently taught on the world circuit. Like many NZ artists, she is probably more well known overseas - you can see her work here.

“Woven in Light” - 2016 - 2019

Fused Glass Bowls

The 'Woven in Light' series is inspired by my grandmother's weaving. I grew up in Auckland and my granny lived on Frederick Street in Hillsborough - a street which runs along the cliff above Hillsborough Bay (funnily enough, the next bay along is called "Grannys Bay"). My gran had a very large floor loom that she made blankets, throws, wall hangings, table mats and all sorts on! I have very fond memories of watching her feet on the pedals and the weft and warp dancing with the shuttle - the end result being evenly woven works of art! As a little girl i thought it was all pretty magical! Her loom was based in a large shed in her garden - which was also a work of art with pathways that wound their way down towards the cliff. All of my extended family have items woven by Gran and they are very treasured pieces.