Adrian Woodhouse, the Maitapapa Carver, began carving at 13 years old and came back to it later in life. A chef and an educator, he studied both a Masters and Doctorate of Professional Practice at Otago Polytechnic, where he is now Head of Programmes for the Food Design Institute. His carvings reveal his deep connection with his materials as well as his turangawaewae.
Sculptor and miniaturist Reynold Turner of Old Relic has a passion for local history and the old gold rush-era relics and buildings around Central Otago. He loves to recreate their homes and equipment in miniature, using the same building methods as the early settlers. Working with his bare hands, hammer, chisel, and tin snips, he shapes schist, river stone, slate, and rusty tin into stunning tiny scenes.
Joe Wright of Bearwood Workshop handcrafts his beautiful wooden homewares and sculpture – all made from sustainable and recycled New Zealand native timber – from a little tractor shed in Glendhu Bay overlooking Lake Wanaka. After years of working as a designer in many different disciplines, running his own consultancy and clocking up the air miles with large corporations as clients, he decided to shed it all and go back to his roots. His days are now spent following his passion: designing and making simple, beautiful, sustainable items that will stand the test of time.
Susan Manson of Fully Woolly is a highly skilled maker of fantastic faux taxidermy deer trophies and other woolly goodies – and she reckons fibre runs through her veins…
Working from her Blueskin Bay studio, full-time artist Liz Abbott draws inspiration for her original oil paintings, pastels and prints from the landscape around her. A well-known New Zealand painter, Liz’s regularly exhibited and award-winning art can be found in public and private collections throughout … Read more »
Travel, wine and a love for natural products has led Otago-based Amy Burke down the path to The Cottage Soap Co., her handmade soaps and skincare business. Her passion for good food and wine has translated to a skincare range characterised by rich essential oils, so delicious they’re almost edible!