Creating with Kauri Exhibition 2020 Maker series part II
The Kauri Museum

The Kauri Museum provided participants with a piece of Kauri timber and gum to make a jewellery piece/s with.

This project transported me back to my childhood running barefoot through the long grass on my family’s orchard collecting stones, tiny windblown birds’ nests and other earthly treasures, before bringing them back to a pint sized workbench next to my father’s in the garage.

I had a fascination with the nostalgic, especially old tins, and kept my precious findings in them. Moa stones and chunks of Kauri gum my father had found, bird’s feathers and broken eggs, sea shells and other bits I’d collected ended up in these tins.

The moment when a tin is creaked open to reveal its hidden contents was always a moment to savour and drink in with all the senses. In this project I have endeavoured to recreate a small sacred moment with each assemblage of treasure inside these tins, because the small sacred moments are plenty to be had if we remain aware. To savour each and every drop of them is the secret.

Working with these materials, especially timber is like coming home. It is my first time working with Kauri gum and to close your eyes and inhale its scent when it has warmed up a little is a joy in itself.
I hope that the new guardians of these treasures will also create a little space with them to experience a quiet moment and allow small sparks of joy to materialise as I have done in the creation of them.