"Circle Round The Sun"
290mm high

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“I never pick up a tool without first turning on the stereo.
The flow comes from music…”

Chontene had an obsession with pencil drawing when she was young. She was drawing street portraits at craft shows when she was thirteen.
Nowadays, she is dedicated to creating sculptures in Oamaru Stone, sitting outside on the front porch – often carving into the wee small hours.

“I only do the barest minimum of sketching on the stone, because I can’t wait to start carving.
The piece gains its own personality the more I carve it and the form becomes what it wants to be…”

When Chontene was researching her Ngati Whatua roots, she discovered that the traditional carvings of her tribe featured motifs and forms that she was already incorporating into her own designs.
“I found that interesting... I guess, it’s all part of getting in touch with the original designs that are inside you…”

Chontene Nathan

Virtual Bay Art Gallery Entrance

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