Moving sculpture finds new home
A blessing and celebration was held in the courtyard of the Davis Library at Pukenamu Queen’s Park last Thursday (13 May 2021) to welcome local artist Hamish Horsley’s Transient Being sculpture to its new permanent home. Whanganui-born sculptor Hamish Horsley spent 38 years based in London working as a professional artist before returning to live in Whanganui in 2015. Transient Being was carved in 1997 and exhibited at several locations in England before being loaned to New Zealand House in London, where it was on display for 20 years. When New Zealand House underwent renovations in 2019, Hamish Horsley offered to gift the sculpture to Whanganui District Council’s public art collection.
With a cost of more than $17,000 to have the sculpture shipped to Whanganui, a fundraising appeal was launched by Bill Milbank, curator of Milbank Gallery and former director of the Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui.
The council’s parks team then worked with the artist to identify and landscape a suitable space for the sculpture.
Transient Being was positioned on a block of Oamaru stone in the Davis Library courtyard and Hamish Horsley spent several weeks recarving part of the sculpture’s base. Hamish Horsley says the upper triangular form on the sculpture is perceived as a symbol of sanctuary, while the lower block of stone represents earth. The two are symbolically interdependent, flowing from one to the other.