Te Rongo Kirkwood

Te Rongo Kirkwood (Waikato, Taranaki, Te Wai-o-Hua, Te Kawerau, Ngāi Tai ki Tamaki) is a mixed media artist who specialises in kiln formed, cold worked glass. Kirkwood incorporates a Maori worldview in her work, influenced by the Maori belief system that anchors tupuna (ancestors), whakapapa (existential links between all things) and the relationship between the past, present and future. Her glass work is known for its precise and exacting nature, fusing Maori customary art and modern glass art techniques with unmatched attention to detail. She strives to create art experiences and enduring works of special meaning that connect people and places through a unique combination of contemporary interpretations of New Zealand artistic and cultural heritage. Kirkwood produces large-scale architectural glass sculptures for exhibition and commission and currently has three public sculptures on display throughout Auckland. Kirkwood has exhibited in galleries and exhibitions around the world including Vancouver, San Francisco, and Canberra as well as in multiple exhibitions in her home country of New Zealand. The recipient of numerous awards over the past two decades in both glass and mixed media, Kirkwood’s creativity and daring are apparent throughout her oeuvre. Among other accolades, she has been a finalist in the prestigious Ranamoke Glass Awards three times and her work is part of the personal collection of the Awards’ founder.