Pavilion needs a home: winning sculpture needs a garden to live in

Artist James Kirkwood is hoping to find a good home for his pavilion currently showing at Auckland Botanic Gardens. Photo / Supplied

A home is needed for one garden pavilion created by Whanganui-born artist James Kirkwood.

Kirkwood, now residing in Nelson, was one of 20 New Zealand artists to have his work selected for Sculpture in the Gardens held at the Auckland Botanic Gardens this summer.

Best known as a painter, Kirkwood first turned his hand to sculpture in 2012 when he wanted to make something to fill a space at the bottom of his garden in Titirangi.

A friend suggested that he create another for the Sculpture in the Garden competition and the result was an open-sided pavilion that now resides in his Nelson garden.

"I really like the monkey puzzle trees at the Auckland Botanic Gardens and they inspired my design which was a winner in the 2013 competition," Kirkwood said.

James Kirkwood's Monkey Puzzle Pagoda was a Sculpture in the Gardens winner in 2013. Photo / Supplied

After making the first two structures on his own, the artist called on collaborators to help with his latest effort.

"Isobel Thom is a brilliant ceramic artist and she had said she wanted to make gargoyles for my last pavilion so I invited her to work on this one.

"She added these great little corner pieces on the roof."

While his last structure was open-sided, Kirkwood wanted to close in a wall on his latest structure.

"When the last one was on display at the gardens, people tended to walk straight through it.

"This one was inspired by the lake so I wanted to encourage people to linger inside and look out over the water."

He asked his second collaborator, Unitec art and design lecturer Kim Meek, to create a window.

Meek's design is a Japanese Meiji panel which is white on the outside and coloured on the inside.

Kirkwood said the results are better than he could have imagined.

James Kirkwood (left) with collaborator Kim Meek inside his latest pavilion at Auckland Botanic Gardens. Photo / Supplied

He hoped the sculpture would sell while on display at the event as he doesn't need another pavilion in his own garden.

"It would be brilliant if someone in Whanganui wanted to buy it."

Born in Whanganui, Kirkwood attended Whanganui High School before leaving to study at Elam School of Fine Arts where he graduated in 1986.

Whanganui was not the thriving arts centre it is today when he left to begin his studies but he says the potential was always there.

"The Sarjeant Gallery was always interesting and I remember going up there after school.

"Bill Milbank was always willing to show you around if you were interested in the collection and he didn't mind if you were wearing a school uniform."

Kirkwood has twice been a finalist in the Wallace Art Awards and was the first artist to win the Team McMillan BMW Art Award in 2000.

In the Sarjeant Gallery collection is Kirkwood's 1984 painting Meanwhile depicting a Whanganui cityscape at sunset.

He is in town this weekend to catch up with family and see the artworks featured in the 2020 pattillo Whanganui Arts Review and meet the artists.