Sculpture fits bill for art award
Artist nets People's Choice Award
He was huffing and puffing up Sugar Loaf on a walk with his daughter when the phone rang. Local artist Glen Colechin answered and was thrilled with the news he was the winner of the 2021-22 Friends People’s Choice Award for his sculpture
Serenity at the Sculpture in the Gardens held from December 11 to April 3 at the Auckland Botanical Gardens.
“I was just delighted,” Colechin said. The sculpture of a kōtuku (white heron) sitting on water on lily pads with bulrushes around it is white on the outside and copper inside, with blue around the eyes as they appear in mating season.
The good news couldn’t have come at a better time for this talented artist, who had just returned from Britain.
“My mum died unexpectedly. I hadn’t been back to the UK for 11 years although mum came here for our daughter’s first birthday four years ago,” he said.
“I decided while I was there that I might as well make it a business trip.
“I travelled all over, going to galleries and chatting to other ones via video. It was funny really, because I went from Scotland, which is a bit slow, down the country to London, which felt like going from first gear to fifth gear.”
He says 360,000 people visited the Sculpture Garden over the three months.
“I’m really chuffed to win this. The prize was $5000, which came in very handy with my unexpected trip. I think mum sorted me out,” he laughed.
The sculpture is going to an exhibition at Eden Park and then to its new home in Nelson.
Colechin is working on a 6ft-tall wild boar for a client who is a retired hunter.
“It will be wicked. I’m using recycled hunting things like possum traps.
“I’m also working on a collaboration with an architect from Wellington to possibly make sculptures as landmarks. “It’s going crackers at the moment.” Next year he is off to Dubai, Europe and the US — “it’s all happening. It’s really exciting”.