Turning passion into full-time mahi a pleasure

Brian Wright with The Goddess piece that won him the first-place award at this years National Association of Woodworkers event. Picture by Liam Clayton

From a young age, Brian Wright can remember drawing whenever he had the chance; now, as an adult, he has turned this passion into his full-time mahi.

Wright, 51, grew up in Matawai. At school, he was always drawing and his teachers were always telling him off for doing it.

So, later on in life, he become a fencer and worked on farms to support his family.

However, whenever he had spare time, he would get out a pencil and paper. At times, he would get out a chisel and a block of wood to carve a piece of art.

He clearly never lost his passion for art.

In 2019 and after years of working as a fencer, he decided to pursue carving as his full-time mahi.

Since then, he has been across the North Island attending different carving symposiums, where he has demonstrated his ability to carve pieces of native timber, such as tōtara, into carvings of the natural world.

At his property, he has a pair of moa, a stag inspired by manaia, a leopard on a log, and all sorts of different pieces that he has made over the years.

Other pieces feature faces, or depictions of people surfing, hunting, fishing or diving.

“Most of my work is inspired by the natural world.”

He also said that a lot of his work is inspired by the things he has personally done, such as hunting and diving.

“If I haven’t experienced something, I will learn about it as much as I can, so I can get it right (when I create a piece of art),” he explained.

He is inspired by the underwater pioneer Jacque Cousteau and his team on the Calypso.

Not only does Wright work with wood, but he also carves using copper and metal.

Earlier in his career, he carved figures in beefbone.

Recently, Wright won the first-place award in the wall art category of the National Association of Woodworkers event with his piece titled The Goddess.

Coming first place at the event came as a complete surprise to him, he said.

“I thought I might get highly commended or something, but when I saw that I had won first place, I was shocked.”

The piece was judged by a panel of internal judges.

“With this piece, I try to imagine the environment the figure would come from. I see her as an ancient queen with a lot on her shoulders. I like to think of what they would experience in that specific time and space.”

This artwork is made of native Moanui Tōtara and is adorned with metallic gold acrylic and recycled copper board.

“I was inspired to do this piece as I endeavour to add human form as another aspect to my works.”

■  To see more of his works or to get in touch with him, go to: www.wildimage.co.nz