New Zealand

Born in 1965, New Zealand, sculptor Chris Bailey is of both Maori and Irish descent, with ties to the Iwi of Ngati Hako, Ngati Paoa, Te Aupouri and Ngati Porou. In his thirties Bailey embarked on a journey of self-discovery, learning about the Maori culture and its language. This involved returning to the various Marae of both his parents and to his study at Auckland University, where he learnt traditional material working techniques. Bailey has been working full time as a sculptor since 2004, with much success both nationally and internationally. He now lives and works on Waiheke Island just off the coast of Auckland, NZ. Bailey has represented NZ on the global stage in the USA, Italy, Australia and Japan and is recognized as one of New Zealand’s leading contemporary Maori sculptors in his medium of hard stone.

Virginia King’s sculpture celebrates life in the South Pacific. She draws attention to the beauty and fragility of the Earth’s eco-systems by magnifying and abstracting the scale and complexity of natural life forms. Her works are informed by mythology, history, science and literature, and express concerns about ecology and survival and the delicate balance between sustainability and progress. In 2015 King installed Wakatipu Vessel in Queenstown, New Zealand. She has also commissioned works for Hobsonville Wharf in Auckland, Ohinetahi in Governors Bay, Canberra Airport, Lambton Quay in Wellington, and Docklands Park in Melbourne. She has exhibited in Sculpture on the Gulf, Waiheke Island three times and won People’s Choice Awards for Matiatia Frond, 2003, Nautilus Whispers, 2007, and Radiolaria, 2011. King was a Distinguished Invited Artist at Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi in 2010, and previously exhibited at Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe in 2011. A pivotal experience in King’s life was being awarded an Antarctic Artist Fellowship in 1999. The visit to Antarctica allowed her to focus on the food chain and the microsphere and to reinforce her ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship.