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.
