Meet the Maker: Birgit Moffatt creates with natural materials.
Birgit Moffatt explores the potential of natural materials in her creations
When visual artist Birgit Moffatt met her future husband Rod during a trip to Kāpiti Island in 2003, not only did he influence her move to New Zealand from Germany several years later, he also changed the course of her career after introducing her to traditional Māori harekeke (flax) weaving. “My artistic career began when I came to New Zealand. Back in Berlin I was working in an office job with no creative output.” Today the prolific maker finds inspiration in the world around her Ōtaki Gorge home at the foothills of the Tararua Ranges in the lower North Island. “I’m in love with te ngahere, the native New Zealand bush, and it certainly informs most of my work in some way,” she says. “For me, making art is not about creating a product – it’s an expression of how I feel connected to the whenua [land] and how my work ties in with the idea of sustainable living.” During the past few years Birgit has increasingly worked with natural materials gathered during daily walks. She says items such as leaves, seedpods, bark, twigs and vines lend themselves to three-dimensional creations. Birgit has also been experimenting with eco-dyeing, where the colours from plant material are transferred to paper or fabric via steaming or boiling, and she sells a range of eco-dyed scarves, cushion covers and pillowcases in selected galleries and at birgitmoffatt.com.
My favourite things: My pounamu, made by Ric Moor, was a gift of love and encouragement from my husband (1). This cigar case was given to my grandfather by my grandmother as an engagement present in 1950; it is a reminder of my family history (2). There is no better way to start the day than with the smell of fresh coffee from our old grinder (3). My camera – photography is my way of recording and capturing the world around me (4).