Virginia King

Virginia King’s sculptures and installations are about a respect for humanity, they sit within their environment, subtle yet striking, mirroring the beauty produced by nature while also commenting on the destruction imposed through imperialism.

Virginia King's art celebrates life in the South Pacific, it is inspired by the ocean and informed by mythology, history and literature of New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. This is exemplified in works such as Wooden Letters that when set adrift looked like islands and reminded her about how the early Maori had called Captain Cook's ship a floating island when he arrived in 1769, it was also the name of their raupo boats. The vessel form is recurring in Virginia's work as a symbol of migration, a chalice - container of life, and a symbol of life's journey. She chose a vessel as a fitting tribute for the David Lange Memorial, the sleek lasercut, handfinished stainless steel is lasercut with excerpts from Lange's famous speeches and hoisted by a series of poles and at night it is lit in a cool blue light. Virginia's public sculptures and installations shift from ocean to land with works such as Waitakere's Rewarewa footbridge designed with trusses representing the rewarewa seed pod and flower. These works refer to Virginia's concerns about ecology and survival and the delicate balance between sustainability and progress. 

Virginia exhibited extensively throughout New Zealand and internationally. She has been awarded more than 20 public commissions and her sculpture has been recognized by notable awards such as the Wallace Art Awards, Creative New Zealand's Creative Spaces Award, the Ellerslie Flower Show, among others. 

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