This salon was a double-feature; a chance to visit a thriving arts hub and learn more about Chris van Doren’s practice.
Chris showed his sculptures at Chichester Cottage for the Art Trail 2024. While he’s an Onekiritea local he has a studio in the Pacifica Arts Centre at Corban Estate.
We visited and learnt more about Chris and his work and also this vibrant community arts hub. We’re very grateful to Chris and Jarcinda Stowers-Ama, Centre Director, for their warm invitations.
About the Artist
Chris Van Doren is of Niuean, Samoan and Dutch descent. With a background in panel beating, Van Doren uses his trade-taught skills in his multi-disciplinary sculptural practice, incorporating mediums such as copper, stainless steel, wood and stone. He holds a vast knowledge and skill for sculpting with traditional art forms in both large and small-scale sculpture that explore his Pacific heritage.
Van Doren has taken part in numerous exhibitions and symposiums across the Asia-Pacific and has been a three-time finalist in Aotearoa’s World of Wearable Arts. He took part in the Taitung Austronesian Cultural Festival in Taiwan (2009) where he collaborated with Indigenous artists from the tribes of Taiwan and the wider Pacific from Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and New Caledonia. Van Doren has exhibited widely across Aotearoa and abroad, and in 2020 completed a Tautai Fale-Ship Home Residency.
