Timber gold

NOW THIS: An exhibition of handcrafted furniture by Andrew Ellmers will be held at the Plunket Building in Palmerston Road on Saturday from 9am-1pm and Sunday, 10am-1pm. All pieces are for sale except the high-backed chair. File picture

A selection of furniture handcrafted from native timber felled at Whangara in the 1800s by Captain William Tucker is to be exhibited in the historic Plunket Building this weekend. The pieces make up Makauri man Andrew Ellmers’ first solo exhibition, Now This, and will include his 2018 Te Ha Art Awards winning high-backed chair.

Ellmers enjoys the history in the timber. At a time when New Zealand’s fences were made out of hand-cut puriri, red birch, totara and kahikatea, holes were drilled into the log and charges inserted to blow it apart.

The collection on display in the Plunket Building will include smaller pieces crafted from left over pieces of timber.

“You look at them and something comes to mind about how you can use that piece. I make all kinds of things so I can use every bit of timber.”