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Kaupapa and the furniture designer

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Page 1: Whole in the Heart
Page 2: Whole in the Heart

I stumbled upon the idea that would ultimately form

the basis of this group exhibition while ‘chewing the

fat’ with my friend Willie (who is, like me, of Cook

Island descent). Willie knew that I was New Zealand-

born, but was unaware that I was adopted and raised

by European New Zealanders, and unacquainted with

my biological family at the time.

Willie said, “That must be like having a hole in the head?”

I responded that it felt more like a hole in the heart!

It had never been expressed to me in those terms

before, and I realised that there would be a wonderful

duality in embarking on a personal journey of cultural

discovery through a passion for furniture design.

I wondered what it meant to be a New Zealander.

How do we perceive ourselves and how do

others perceive us? In other words, how are we

characterised? What are our main points of

diff erence, and could that assist us in galvanising

a unique and collective style and identity?

Furthermore, given our shared history and the multi-

cultural community we live in, could our fi ndings

translate to an overall sense of the South Pacifi c? I

felt that by examining broad notions of identity - a

sense of place and of belonging, of tradition and

contemporary design practice - the discourse of the

exhibition could be made inclusive of a cross-section

of New Zealand art and design practitioners and

provide a case study which may reveal insights into

contemporary New Zealand design.

INTRODUCTION BYKEVIN WEBBY

Page 3: Whole in the Heart

‘Whole In The Heart’ brings together a culturally

diverse group of New Zealand designers, who invite

the audience to make their own connections with the

work, and challenge them to discover the common

threads which help us identify ourselves as individuals,

New Zealanders, Pacifi c Islanders and global citizens.

Driven by a concern that many designer-makers seem

to struggle to sustain themselves economically, an

intentional emphasis has been placed on promoting

commercial elements which underpin the show and in

a broader sense, the design industry itself.

One of the underlying objectives of the exhibition is

to provide some extra visibility for design work to a

broad but targeted audience with a view to promoting

up and coming artists/designers toward a the status

of ‘established’. The creative content of the exhibition

showcases the design capabilities of the participants,

and the opportunity for increased exposure may lead

to meaningful business relationships.

It is a stated objective of the exhibition to make a

lasting and positive contribution to the fabric of our

collective sense of design in New Zealand as a South

Pacifi c cultural and economic hub. It is hoped that the

publication of this catalogue may provide case study

research and educational opportunities while the

content of the show stimulates dialogue on as many

levels as possible.

The exhibition design employs a theme embodied in

the metaphor of the traditional Polynesian oceanic

navigators to convey a notion of voyage, journey,

navigation and migration where the intention is to

reinforce the ideas and values which underpin the

overarching narrative of the exhibition. The resulting

set design provides a functional display framework

while evoking a strong sense of the South Pacifi c

through an aesthetic that is inspired by the shared

experience of our region’s physical and cultural

landscape, values, history and tradition. The result is

an interpretation of something new and unique, since

these elements have been fused together to suggest

possibilities for the future.

In conclusion, I would like to acknowledge all of the

collaborators across an astoundingly broad section

of the community who have helped to make this

project a reality. It has been a profoundly humbling

experience to have had the opportunity to work

with such dedicated and professional individuals,

organisations, companies, private enterprises,

agencies and public institutions that have, to a large

degree, helped inform and shape the exhibition from

its conceptual beginnings to its completed format.

Me te mihi nui, meitaki maata - thank you!

Kevin Webby

Designer/Curator

Cover image:Blackseed Coat Tree (2006)

Plywood. H 200cm x Dia. 58.5cm

Page 4: Whole in the Heart

White Tall Incalmo (2009)Glass. H 65cm x W 25cm

White Cut Incalmo:Small Tear Drop (2009)Glass. H 55cm x W 18cm

Katie Brown is one of only a handful of full-time female

glassblowing artists in New Zealand. Having graduated

with a Diploma in Glass Design and Production in 1999

from Whanganui UCOL, Katie now works at Chronicle

Glass Studio, Whanganui.

After three years working in the United States, Katie

moved to England where she worked with several glass

makers including environmental glass artist Neil Wilkin.

Much of Katie’s work is inspired by the natural world

and this is refl ected in her use of hot glass. Through her

use of colour and cold techniques her pieces display a

delicate sense of structure.

www.katiebrownglass.co.nz

White Platter (2009) GlassDia 47cm

Katie BROWN

Page 5: Whole in the Heart

The ‘Pacifi c Allsorts’ range is an exploration of contemporary New Zealand furniture design, inspired by our unique cultural landscape.

Simple geometric forms suggest functionality. Traditional elements, such as Polynesian lashing, contrast sharply with engineered components.

This series is a juxtaposition of reinvented elements and ideas from New Zealand’s past. It’s a homage to our traditional craftand cultural values.

Growing up in a creative family, Kennedy received encouragement for

his love of art and design from an early age. After graduating with a

Bachelor of Design from Unitec, majoring in 3D design, he worked in the

shop fi tting and signage industries, before deciding to travel abroad.

Arriving home with new visions and ideas, he resolved to revisit his

passion for furniture design, and joined Cicada Studios in 2005. After

nearly three years developing his craft and exhibiting throughout New

Zealand, he returned to Auckland to set up a small home-based studio.

Since then, Kennedy has continued to develop his own style

through exhibition and experimental pieces, largely funded through

commissions and the sale of production works.

Kennedy BROWN

Pacifi c Allsorts range (2011)MDF, hardboard, pine timber,laminate, aluminium, stainless steel.

www.kennedybrown.co.nz

Page 6: Whole in the Heart

The orbs are hand-thrown on a potters wheel, and the foot ring is turned. When the work is leather-hard, it is bisque-fi red and then glaze-fi red.

Born in Auckland in 1951, Peter Collis has worked with clay

nearly all of his life. The main focus to his work has been the

handling of shape and surface. He creates pure-form vessels.

Crackle glazes, textures, vivid colours - all enrich surfaces and

complement form.

One of New Zealand’s most accomplished ceramic artists with

over fi fty solo exhibitions to his name, his work is held in public

and private collections in New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Great

Britain, USA, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and Holland.

Peter has been a full-time artist/potter since 1978 and he works

from his studio in Birkenhead Point. He is a multiple award winner

and continues his extremely broad and long standing community

involvement within the arts sector.

Peter COLLIS

Aqua OrbsCeramicVarious heights

www.collis.co.nz

Page 7: Whole in the Heart

Boogieman (2008)Ink on paper

A3 +

Lester Hall is a print maker who left the vexations of city life over a decade

ago to surround himself with the wonderful environs of the Bay of Islands.

It was here that he found inspiration for his musings on a life lived in the

Pacifi c. His latest stories are written in the formats of stamps - often actual,

early-New Zealand stamps altered to accept and accentuate

the narrative he wishes to express.

Lester HALL

“These works are a natural confl uence of Euro-Polynesian style, design and thought, suggesting a freedom which might galvanise us all into a special culture, unique in the world.”

My making process is based on the story of, and philosophy surrounding, New Zealand race relations. I imagine and create digital images and then paint them on paper. These are scanned and manipulated with more digital software and then sent to an 8-colour inkjet printer.

www.lesterhall.com

Page 8: Whole in the Heart

Sam HAUGHTON

Sam is a self-taught designer whose childhood years spent on a

Northland farm provided him with practical skills and a hands-

on approach. “On the surface, it wasn’t the most creative of

environments” he says. “But, like design, farming is a process of

problem solving. You are forced to exploit constraints and restricted

resources to come up with new solutions. You learn by doing.”

Sam established his Auckland-based, furniture design company,

IMO in 2004. He is involved in all aspects of the product life cycle,

from the user research to prototyping, drawing component parts,

resolving manufacturing issues, tooling up, testing and delivery to

market.

A degree in history and social science at Victoria University fostered

his idealistic interest in mass production as a means of achieving a

design democracy. “Design doesn’t have to be expensive or elitist.

I like the notion of good design for all’’.

A2 Stool (2010)Aluminium, solid tawaH 44cm x W 40cm x D 32cm

We were approached by Fisher & Paykel to develop furniture for the ‘Social Kitchen’, a travelling food, furniture and appliance exhibition. We opted for stools as the seat of choice to go with our bench style Fiord tables. Stools add an element of spontaneity that would allow for groups to be as intimate or as separated as they want to be. It would also add a splash of colour and playfulness. They had to be light, and cost-eff ective and be able to be stacked into a container for transport.

www.imo.co.nz

Page 9: Whole in the Heart

Mike Hindmarsh was raised in Wellington, and began

making furniture in the mid 1990s. He moved to Nelson to

complete a Diploma in Visual Arts, specialising in furniture

design in 1997. Mike later worked for well-known designer-

makers David Haig and John Shaw, before setting up his

own contemporary design studio.

Mike has specialised in the technique of constructing three-

dimensional forms by stacking and interlocking fl at planes

of material, most clearly demonstrated in his award-winning

‘Spacejunk’ shelving range.

Mike HINDMARSH

Spacejunk-Virus (2011)Composite boardDia. 118cm x D 20cm

www.mikehindmarsh.com

Page 10: Whole in the Heart

‘Kono’ Floor Lamp (2011)Southland BeechH 160cm x Dia. 36cm

The ‘Kono’ lamp series references the traditional Māori crafts of rarangaand whakairo.

Roger originally trained as an engraver

in the mid 1980s and holds a Bachelor of

Design from Christchurch Polytechnic.

While there, he was invited to tutor in 3D

design, and developed a keen interest

in built environments. He now tutors

in 3D design at the Eastern Institute of

Technology.

During his residency at Cicada Studios,

he promoted his furniture at national and

international design fairs and exhibitions.

He established RedOrange Design in

2006 to explore new furniture-related

forms and pursue an interest in design

curation.

The use of existing materials in a new

context is central to his design aesthetic,

and he draws inspiration from various

New Zealand icons, both natural and

man-made.

Roger KELLYwww.redorange.co.nz

Page 11: Whole in the Heart

Jo studied print making and photography

at the Otago School of Fine Art, then fi lm

making and design at Victoria University.

She established her studio in 1996 in

Wellington, where she now lives with her

family. She became renowned for her

ceramics which capture New Zealand’s

coastal landforms and indigenous fl ora

and fauna. She works in a variety of media

including jewellery, ceramics, glass, print

making, textiles, photography and fi lm.

Jo LUPING

“I use design as a platform to tell a story. The story raises awareness about an environmental issue and highlight nature’s beauty. I am inspired by the Japanese aesthetic wabi-sabi which is characterised by asymmetry, simple elegance, intimacy, modesty and suggestions of natural process.”

Tui Head Cushion (2009)Boiled feltH 44cm x W 44cm

Cheeky Fantail Plate (2009)PorcelainDia. 20cm x D 2.5cm

www.jolupingdesign.com

Page 12: Whole in the Heart

Bob McDonald has alternated between the furniture

and building industries most of his working life. Early

work experience with one of Auckland’s leading

furniture manufacturers, who were strongly infl uenced

by Scandinavian design, began to inform his own

sense of design.

Still very connected to the design and production of

furniture in his late forties, he decided to enhance

his practical skills with academic study. He began

a four-year 3D design degree at Auckland’s Unitec

before returning to furniture in 2000. The following

year, he was one of the winners of the prestigious New

Zealand Best Design Awards.

Bob works from a studio workshop in Morningside,

Auckland. His interest in sailing and boat construction

has been helpful in shaping his aesthetic and his

desire to make furniture that is less materially

intensive.

Bob McDONALDwww.bobmcdonald.co.nz

Page 13: Whole in the Heart

A platform for sleeping.

My hopes for the design of the bed were to achieve a sense of lightness; or suspension, that makes the invisible space visible. It allows the surroundings to speak.

The design is reduced to a simple wooden platform so that the bed doesn’t dominate the room. As with much of my furniture the bed refl ects our relationship with wood and its relaxed, less formal context.

‘Line Three’ BedSteel tube, solid oak timberH 74cm x W 172cm x D 217cm

Page 14: Whole in the Heart

Tim graduated with a Bachelor of Craft Arts, majoring in

sculpture and textile printing, from CPIT School of Art and

Design, where he later taught textile printing.

In 2003 he collaborated with fashion designer Sharon

Ng and in 2005 he was the artist-in-residence at The

Arts Centre, Christchurch. Tim has works in collections

throughout New Zealand including Canterbury Museum,

the Christchurch Art Gallery and the James Wallace Trust.

In his work, he transforms the patterns of nature into

symbols and motifs. Themes are derived from the sense

of order and purpose in nature. His patterns refl ect the

idea that the pleasure of the aesthetic experience lies

in fi nding a balance between a guiding structure and a

variety of fl ourishes, a harmony of order and movement.

Tim MAIN

‘Pohutukawa II’(Tim Main for Dilana)TextileW 100cm x L 300cmCourtesy of Dilana

www.dilana.co.nz

In collaboration with the Dilana workshop, his designs, along with those of other artists and designers, are used by rug makers to produce high-quality textile fl oor coverings.

Page 15: Whole in the Heart

Robbie studied Contemporary Maori Design and Industrial

Design at the Wellington School of Design. He went on to

gain a Bachelor of Design, majoring in Industrial Design, at

Massey University

He then moved to Hawke’s Bay and took up residence at

Cicada Studios where he became involved in a wide range of

design projects from around New Zealand - from furniture,

graphic and product design, to commercial fi t-outs.

More recently, Robbie has focused on developing and

promoting his own range of contemporary design. He also

produces commissioned work for private and corporate

clients. Robbie currently works as an Industrial Designer for

SKOPE Industries Limited in Christchurch.

Robbie NATHAN

K4 (2008)Plywood, laminatePrivate collectionH 19.5cm x W 100cm x D 1.9cm

Page 16: Whole in the Heart

Rona Ngahuia Osborne began her

professional life as a painter and

photographer after completing a Bachelor’s

Degree from Elam School of Fine Arts.

In 2003 Rona created the brand Native

Agent as an outlet for her clothing and textile

work and the following year established a

design store and gallery of the same name in

Kingsland, Auckland.

Rona produces beautifully conceived and

crafted products for Native Agent, which

are sold through their website and at design

stores and galleries throughout New Zealand.

Rona works in West Auckland, where she

lives with her husband and two daughters.

Rona Ngahuia OSBORNEwww.nativeagent.co.nz

Page 17: Whole in the Heart

X&Y is one of a series of two designs created through an exploration of Pacifi c iconography. Both solutions expand on the prevalent decorative and two-dimensional use of ‘koru’ through applied layers of function.

A New Zealand-born Cook Islander, Kevin completed his formal design

training in Palmerston North in 2002. He then moved to Hawke’s Bay

where he was one of the fi rst to take up residency at Cicada Studio’s

furniture design incubator. He set up his own company in 2005 and now

off ers a range of furniture design products to private and commercial

clients in New Zealand and overseas.

After a series of guest appearances at furniture fairs and exhibitions in

Australia and New Zealand, his work was exhibited by Auckland design

house Essenze at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF)

in New York, and also at Saatchi and Saatchi’s New York showroom.

In 2009 he was awarded Creative New Zealand funding to conduct

research in the Cook Islands towards making a new body of furniture

design work. He also secured funding to create new work for a

proposed touring exhibition of New Zealand furniture design.

Kevin’s work is held in private collections in New Zealand, Australia,

Singapore, the United States, France, Canada and Switzerland.

Kevin WEBBY

X&Y Magazine Rack (2006)Plywood, mild steel

H 44cm x W 46cm x D 40 cm

www.kevinwebby.com

Page 18: Whole in the Heart

KW: What is your overall impression of contemporary New Zea-

land furniture design? How do you relate to it, choose to engage it,

or otherwise?

SH: Unlike Europe, we don’t have an extensive history of design

and manufacturing. The appreciation of timeless, well designed

and made things is not inherent in our culture, so it’s often eclipsed

by the marketing-driven consumer need for the new. Too many

companies just sprinkle a little design on something. But two years

later it’s out of date because it was designed it for that purpose.

Design must be fully integrated into every aspect of a product’s

life cycle - research and development, manufacturing, distribution,

marketing and sales. If not, then design lives briefl y in a vacuum

and dies.

I see a big ‘disconnect’ between the design and manufacture of

furniture in New Zealand, which is most evident in product quality.

There does seem to be a growing interest in New Zealand furniture

design however, and ultimately it’s the user who determines what

represents value. With so much choice available, our products

have to be relevant and meaningful, and identifying and satisfying

user needs is key.

As a company we enter our products for local awards, I make

public speaking appearances at industry events, I’m a member of

the Designers Institute and I sit on the executive of the Furniture

Association. By being involved in this way, I hope we can improve

awareness of and raise the benchmark for New Zealand-designed

and made furniture through better alliances and networks be-

tween designers and manufacturers.

KB: New Zealand furniture design derives much from an inherent

pioneering spirit embodied in our multi-cultural community and

this is something I feel we should engage with in the future. I am a

Pakeha who identifi es very strongly with our South Pacifi c region

and accordingly I am inspired by our history, culture and people.

I want to create furniture that references traditional craft and

utilises modern-day materials and technology.

KW: I’ve noted over time, a steady increase in the use of narrative

in the marketing of new work. There is little doubt in my mind that

New Zealand designers have a signifi cant role to play in informing

aesthetic and challenging materials and processes, although there

is a ‘disconnect’ between design and manufacture that limits new

business opportunities for both parties.

I can profi le my design work in the pages of glossy magazines, on

the internet, and at exhibitions, trade fairs and design stores, but

diffi culties arise when attempting to scale manufacturing in an

eff ort to make good design more accessible. High costs, a lack

of industry alliance and a small domestic market are among the

hurdles that make sustaining a viable furniture design practice

problematic in New Zealand. Having explored various options for

scaled manufacture in New Zealand fi rsthand, it became apparent

that identifying channels to larger overseas markets, with the dis-

tribution and marketing to drive it, would be an option that couldn’t

be overlooked.

MH: I feel New Zealand furniture design is still in a formative

phase. It is still a phenomenon to the general population. New Zea-

land’s outdoor lifestyle dictates that we don’t place as much value

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Page 19: Whole in the Heart

on interior decor and possessions, but this is slowly changing. I

relate to it mainly through the group of peers and friends involved

in design here in Nelson. I have exhibited frequently in the past but

now prefer to focus on commission work.

RN: In terms of my own creative direction, I like to think that I am

guided by my own cultural history and a curiosity to discover the

journeys my designs may take me on.

KW: Do you perceive any common threads, either established

or emerging in contemporary New Zealand furniture design? If so

do you feel those common threads are strong enough to charac-

terise or distinguish New Zealand design in any way? If not, why do

you think that is the case?

RK: A refi ning of process is evident among much of the new work

I am seeing which is off ering a simple, clean aesthetic. Combined

with novel use of materials, is the willingness to test the limits of

materials, and this is producing a new elegance in the forms being

created. These characteristics are shared by designers all around

the world and I see the key to distinguishing ourselves may be to

listen to our past and design with the future in mind.

RN: In my view, New Zealand design is heavily infl uenced by Euro-

pean design. It has always held the mantle of quality and innova-

tion for designers to aspire to. Countering this European infl uence,

I sense, is the mood in New Zealand’s creative industry to promote

a kiwi brand of design. I feel that New Zealand design is shedding

its reliance on other cultural design values and trying to create a

design vibe that refl ects Aotearoa.

KB: I think it’s important to develop and retain a Pacifi c infl uence.

I think that New Zealand design benefi ts from a ‘what you see is

what you get’ mentality and there is a certain honesty in the way a

lot of our work is produced. As with any style it is important to let

this propensity develop naturally. When designers follow trends

too closely it becomes irrelevant and work tends to date very

quickly. Sadly, when you live in a society that is strongly infl uenced

by ‘what’s hot and what’s not’, you risk becoming complicit with a

‘throw away’ culture.

MH: The members of this country’s small group of designers

are all relatively familiar to each other and everyone seems to be

interested in each others’ work but at the same time, I feel there is

somewhat of a pioneering attitude with individual designers proud

of their own design style and wanting to create something unique

so this generates a diverse range of designs emanating from New

Zealand.

KW: I note that much of the new work being released by Kiwi

designers has an international fl avour. Many of our higher-profi le

designers have sought exposure in Europe with mixed success

I would say, and in many cases it appears as though European

design sensibilities have been a core consideration.

Alongside this phenomenon though is a re-emergence of the

Pacifi c furniture design movement. New Zealand designers are, in

greater numbers, looking to our unique physical and cultural land-

scape to generate fresh, intelligent, simple design solutions.

Resourcefulness and ingenuity are not qualities unique to New

Zealand designers but I think our particular set of circumstances,

combined with our unique brand of pragmatism does off er some-

Page 20: Whole in the Heart

thing exotic to international markets. Whether it be challenges

stemming from our geographic isolation, diffi culties of scaling pro-

duction, quality control, resourcing or our historic apathy toward

valuing good design, the will to create is strong in our community

and only the smartest and most passionate survive long term.

SH: In spite of a globalising market, it is almost impossible to talk

about a global experience. This only occurs when context is shared.

If you were to design something to support the experience of ‘having

a meal’ context is very important. Dinner for the Chinese is very

much a family aff air. A place-setting includes a bowl, a saucer, a pair

of chopsticks and a soup spoon. The dishes are served all at once

in the centre of the table, and people eat directly from communal

plates. Other than tea, drinks are generally not served with dinner

and they don’t eat dessert. How can a product improve that experi-

ence? A product for a Pakeha family would likely be quite diff erent.

Consumers are looking for rich sensorial, emotional and meaningful

experiences, not merely for ‘just’ a product.

As Michael Smythe says of our approach to product design, New

Zealand’s isolation has imposed a “continuous process of adopting,

adapting and inventing.” Our physical and social environment will al-

ways impose certain factors such as isolation and the disadvantages

of scale, but New Zealand now has a diverse, multicultural society.

The world today is in a state of continual transition. We have become

integrated through communication, transportation, and trade. In a

sea of sameness even well executed products can be overlooked

because the diff erentiation of the details is challenging for consum-

ers. I don’t believe our resourcefulness and ingenuity are enough to

overtly distinguish New Zealand furniture. Neither are preferences

for certain materials or forms because there is too much diversity.

BM: Much current New Zealand design has an international look,

which is perhaps infl uenced by our relatively new presence at an

international level. However it is pleasing to see some exciting

developments in New Zealand design that references the Pacifi c

context and recognises that, by using Pacifi c references as their

starting point, they will have fresh contributions to make to both

local and international contemporary furniture design.

KW: What sort of ‘loading’ would you say your own culture or multi-

culture has on your furniture or object design work? In particular,

what eff ect, if any, has your relationship with New Zealand and/

or the wider South Pacifi c had on your work and the way you work?

KW: The exploration of my own cultures, traditions, values and as-

pirations dominates my creative thinking now and my relationship

with New Zealand has taken on new meaning which, by design,

informs my life and therefore my work. I’m learning that my brand

of New Zealand design, while refl ecting what is unique and relevant

to us in an aesthetic sense must also be highly considered within

the context of scaled manufacturing if the intention is to sustain a

viable design led business model.

RN: My cultural background is an important part of my design

identity. It is something that I feel very comfortable with and feel

that it drives my current design thinking.

KB: Living in New Zealand within the Pacifi c has had a strong infl u-

ence on my work, from a European perspective. I like to interpret

the interaction between design and craft, old and new, traditional

and modern.

Page 21: Whole in the Heart

I have been looking at traditional Maori and Polynesian structures

and fabrication techniques. I like to interpret these elements in a

contemporary manner by fusing them with contemporary materi-

als, forms and making techniques.

The intent is to subtly create a sense of unity between Pacifi c cul-

tures, giving respect to each other and working together to create

an entirely unique and relevant set of values indicative of the region.

MH: Born and raised in New Zealand, my heritage consists of Ital-

ian/Shetland/English. Proximity to the sea has been an important

part of my life and this has impacted on my design sensibilities.

Boat forms and curves continue to surface in my work, as well as

sculpted water textures in timber.

RK: I enjoy fi nding interplay between traditional crafting methods,

the Polynesian aesthetic and the pragmatic approach of early co-

lonial engineering. Growing up in Christchurch, I couldn’t help no-

ticing forms of the rural built environment; irrigation systems, silos,

pylons and dilapidated buildings have an aesthetic of their own.

More recently, studies and observations of traditional Maori and

Polynesian crafts and forms have shaped my approach to seeing

and the making of form. Strong lines with touches of pattern and

texture have developed. The consideration of the use of material

and the resourcefulness that underlies the New Zealand way of life

have played a part in the development of my creative endeavors.

SH: It would be impossible for your own culture not to aff ect your

work. Your upbringing, education, temperament, values and life

experiences are all inherent in your product and how you run your

business.

I grew up on a remote farm in Northland which, on the surface,

wasn’t the most creative of environments. It provided me with the

obvious practical skills and it’s certainly where I learnt the value of

being ‘hands-on’. But, like design, farming is a process of prob-

lem solving. You are forced to exploit constraints and restricted

resources to come up with new solutions.

We have a unique way of approaching problems that comes from

living in New Zealand - we have a go at things, we take risks and

even if we fail we get back up.

My relationship with New Zealand has defi nitely shaped my ap-

proach to design and business but I don’t feel that it has had any

profound eff ect on the aesthetic.

BM: I start with functional and technical requirements that repre-

sent the fundamental task my design has to fulfi ll. I am thoughtful

about the role that furniture does, or might potentially, play in our

lives and I attempt to provide myself with answers through my

furniture. My focus is that in the end, someone has to take these

works into their home environment and use them.

Page 22: Whole in the Heart

Typeface design: Kris Sowersby

www.klimtypefoundry.co.nz

Roger Kelly portrait: Anneliese Hough

[email protected]

Catalogue design: Stu Wilkinson

www.stuwilkinson.co.nz

Printing: Format Print

www.format.co.nz

CAD drawing: Tom Brien for Evento

www.eventoworld.com

www.hastingscityartgallery.co.nz

www.creativenz.govt.nz

Our sponsors:

www.crabfarmwinery.co.nz

www.foreverbeech.co.nz

www.nzsfp.co.nz

www.plytech.co.nz

www.resene.co.nz

www.visionwalls.co.nz

A WHOLE-HEARTED THANK YOU

Page 23: Whole in the Heart

Katie Brown at work

Page 24: Whole in the Heart

Hastings City Art Gallery

201 Eastbourne Street East

Hastings 4122, Hawke’s Bay

00 64 6 871 5095

www.hastingscityartgallery.co.nz

ISBN 978-0-473-19973-9