People often ask why they should choose a New Zealand made piece over something cheaper shipped in from overseas. It's a fair question, and since it's the whole basis of what I do, here's my honest answer.
I've designed and made steel art in Auckland since 2007. Every piece is my own design, drawn by hand, then cut and finished in my studio. When you buy one, you're getting something made by a person in a small New Zealand workshop, not stamped out by the container load. Over the years that's added up to more than 50,000 pieces sent to homes across New Zealand and Australia.
A lot of cheap wall art is a copy of a copy. Mine are original designs, often drawn from things that are ours: native birds, the koru, our plants and landscape. That's part of why they mean something on the wall, and why you can't pick them up just anywhere.
Being made here also means it's made for here. I choose materials and finishes that stand up to New Zealand sun, rain and coastal salt air, because I know what our weather does to things. A piece is built to still look good in twenty years, not twenty months.
When you buy NZ made, the money stays here and keeps a small studio going. It also means real people to talk to. If you want a custom size or a design tweak, you're dealing with the person who makes it, not a call centre on the other side of the world.
Solid steel has a weight and presence that a thin printed or plastic piece never has. You notice it the moment you pick it up, and it's the difference between something that gets used up and something that gets kept and passed on.
Have a look at what I make across wall art, garden art and house numbers and signs, or read a bit more about me and how it all started.
Every piece. I design, cut and finish my work in my Auckland studio, and have since 2007. Nothing is imported and rebranded.
You get an original design made by a local maker, built from quality materials chosen for NZ conditions, and it lasts. It also supports a small New Zealand studio and means a real person to deal with for custom work.
Yes. They're my own designs, many drawn from native birds, the koru, and our plants and landscape, and they're protected by copyright.
Yes. I choose finishes for our sun, rain and coastal salt air, so outdoor pieces are built to last for decades.
Absolutely. Because I make everything here, I can adjust size, finish or design. Just get in touch with what you have in mind.
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