Artist Liz Grant - Online Art Gallery, Bronze Art Gallery, Paintings, Drawings, Maori Art

Art by Liz Grant

Home	About the Artist Liz has been interested in drawing and painting from a very young age and after working in a variety of mediums, her art currently focuses on bronze sculpture. Liz is a decendant of New Zealand Maori (Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Huri), and in 2003 she graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Maori Visual Art (BMVA), from Massey University, Palmerston North. Much of Liz’s work reflects this study. Prior to her BMVA, Liz completed a Bachelor of Science degree (Zoology) at Massey University in 1983 which lead to a Biology Technician position in the Bot Zoo Department (now known as The Ecology Group), where she worked for 18 years. Amongst other duties, Liz was also the Biological Illustrator for the department. This included illustrating extramural study guides, scientific papers, and advertising material. During this time Liz was approached to provide cover illustrations for the NZ Journal of Ecology, a task she has continued for the past 20 years. Now working from home, Liz still does some contract illustrating. In 1999, as a keen entomologist and naturalist, she produced a book; 'An Illustrated Guide to Some New Zealand Insect Families', published by Manaaki Whenua Press.
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Liz on bronze as a medium:

“The thing about bronze is clearly the 3 dimensional nature of it. Not only can you see the form and texture, but you can walk around it - view it from all angles. This gives the artist the opportunity to utilise these views. I also like the idea that the viewer can not only enjoy the visual richness of the different colours of patinas but there is the tactile quality of bronze as well. I have no problems with people touching my bronzes because this is another part of the appreciation of the piece. Some of my pieces have a hidden feature that can only be discovered by looking within, behind or underneath the piece. Bronze is an attractive medium to work in because of its timeless durability and inherent sense of quality, and I like that”.

Liz’s thoughts behind her work:

"The theme or kaupapa for a lot of my work so far has been based on the process of extinction, with particular reference to plants and animals. In Maori culture they are referred to as ‘nga tamariki a Tane’ or ‘the children of Tane’. Colonisation has had considerable impact on native plants and animals, both directly because of hunting, and indirectly as a result of habitat loss from large scale clearance of bush and the introduction of browsing and grazing animals. Many of my pieces express this extinction process in a sculptural form by creating an atmosphere of tension between the elements and a state of being at risk of extinction".

Studio & Gallery:
Pohangina Road (West), RD14, Ashhurst,
New Zealand
Email: liz@artbyliz.co.nz / Tel: +64 6 3294826 / Fax: +64 6 3294784