New Zealand is home to some of the most extraordinary birds in the world — ancient, quirky, and utterly unique. Growing up and living here, these birds have always been part of my landscape. It's no surprise they find their way into my wire sculptures.
The Fantail — Piwakawaka
The fantail is perhaps my favourite subject. There's something irresistible about the way it moves — darting, flitting, never still, its tail fanning out like a tiny dancer. Capturing that energy in wire is a challenge I keep coming back to.
The piwakawaka holds a special place in Māori culture too, often seen as a messenger or a sign of good luck. I love that a sculpture of a fantail carries that meaning into someone's home.
The Kiwi — A National Treasure
No bird is more synonymous with New Zealand than the kiwi. Nocturnal, flightless, and a little awkward — yet completely beloved. Sculpting a kiwi is an exercise in getting the weight right; that round body balanced on surprisingly sturdy legs, the long bill leading the way.
My kiwi sculptures are a favourite with visitors to New Zealand and expat Kiwis alike — a piece of home to take with them.
The Tūī — Bold and Beautiful
The tūī is one of New Zealand's most striking birds — that iridescent blue-green plumage, the distinctive white throat feathers, and a song that seems almost too complex for a single bird. In wire, the tūī is a wonderful challenge: capturing that sense of boldness and presence without colour, relying entirely on form and posture.
There's something deeply satisfying about rendering a bird so vivid in a medium that is entirely monochrome. The wire has to do all the work — and somehow, it does.
Why Native Birds?
There's a deeper reason I return to New Zealand's native birds again and again. Many of them are endangered. The fantail, the kiwi, the kākā — their survival is not guaranteed. When I sculpt them, I'm also celebrating them. Reminding people they exist, that they matter.
Art has always been a way of saying: look at this. It's worth your attention.
In the Studio
Each bird sculpture starts with research — studying photographs, watching videos, sometimes sitting quietly in the bush. I want to understand how the bird holds itself, where its weight sits, how it moves. Only then do I pick up the wire.
The result is never a perfect replica. It's an impression — the essence of the bird as I experience it. That's what wire allows: not photographic accuracy, but feeling.
If you'd like to bring a piece of New Zealand's natural world into your home, browse my current Available Works — several native bird sculptures are available now.