Auckland-based artist, Te Rongo Kirkwood (Waikato, Taranaki, Te Wai-o-Hua, Te Kawerau, Ngāi Tai ki Tamaki) works with fused glass, textile, and other media to create objects that blur the lines between sculpture, craft, and personal adornment. Kirkwood combines glass with more traditional fibres and each glass element features its own language of symbol and pattern. Kirkwood draws upon her Māori and Scots heritage, and the natural world and celestial themes for creative inspiration; her use of natural materials and kiln-formed glass fuses multiple artistic traditions and techniques.
Kirkwood has been working in glass for 15 years and regularly exhibits within New Zealand and abroad. She is a three-time finalist in the prestigious Ranamok Glass Awards, and her work sits in the private collection of the Awards’ founder. Her work is held in public and private collections internationally.
