The Artist …

Chris Van Doren grew up in Waiuku, a rural town in the Auckland region of New Zealand. When he was younger, his father worked at the nearby Glenbrook Steel Mill while his mother worked at the local gardens and farms. Chris, the middle child of six, started bone carving at 12, making small art pieces that he could sell for a little extra pocket money. He recalls spending lots of time either under the house or out in the bush, building huts and “tutu’ing” around with whatever he could get his hands on. After leaving school, Chris picked up a panel-beating trade and now uses his trade-taught skills in his multi-disciplinary sculptural practice.

Chris says he likes to honour the medium he is working with, whether it be stone, wood, bone, or metal he likes to create work that doesn’t take too much away from the essence of the material he is using.  As an artist he sometimes works on several pieces at the same time so that he doesn’t become “stuck” on one form, giving his brain a break by working on something else helps to keep his creativity flowing.

Chris values the process of exploring the inner dialogue that is had with oneself, noting that “it’s the act of creating that encourages new ideas and concepts.” He has taken part in numerous exhibitions and symposia in Aotearoa and abroad. In 2009, he travelled to Taiwan to participate in the Taitung Austronesian Cultural Festival - a wood carving symposium. While there, he collaborated with indigenous artists from tribes of Taiwan and the wider Pacific from Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and New Caledonia. Van Doren's works were recently on display at The Sculpture in the Gardens exhibition at the Auckland Botanical Gardens in 2019 and 2021. And from his Pacifica Arts Centre - Moanaroa Studio space, he is constantly creating new works commissioned from around the country.