Bing Dawe
Dawe has rightly been described as one of New Zealand's most prominent sculptors for his distinctive style of art which engages with pressing environmental issues in a way that inspires contemplation and open dialogue.
Bing Dawe's upbringing in Glenavy, South Canterbury, alongside
the Waitaki River was a formative experience that has fed into both
his personal and artistic lives. It has sustained a life-long
interest and respect for the environment; its bio-diversity and eco
systems and the ways in which human beings interact with these
delicate and self-sufficient series of relationships. His recent
work explores the vulnerability of New Zealand's ecology and marine
life, referencing the impact of water degradation and habitiat
destruction and conveying the implication of their potential loss
on a universal scale.
Since graduating from the University of Cantebury's School of
Fine Arts in the mid 1970s he has participated in numerous solo
exhibitions including a major retrospective at the Robert McDougall
Art Gallery in 1999. He is the recipient of many awards
including the highly prestigious Wallace Art Award in the same
year. His work can be found in significant public and private
collections both in New Zealand and overseas, including public
commissions in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Rotorua.
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