“Swimmingly by Rebecca Rose
In a previous exhibition “The Outfits” I had some of the figures wearing stylish bathing suits based on the ones that my grandmothers wore. I loved the cut and sculptural form and have long wanted to explore these vintage swimming togs further. My time in the studio creating these sculptures has been enriching. The combination of freedom and joy that swimming has given me is infused into these works.
These sculptures use Greywacke metal in the concrete mix and I like the synergy of them being sited in a former Greywacke quarry. Just as the Waitakaruru Arboretum has taken what was left by the quarry and transformed it, I have used the Greywacke gravel and morphed it into these sculptures.
The quarry altered the landscape leaving pits, and exposed cliff faces. Some of these have been used to create water features. I see these sculptures alongside the ponds contemplating taking a dip.
The Swimmingly collection are all for sale
Some of the “swimmers” being created
Translation
December - April 2026
A celebration of Asian influence on the NZ Art Practice
The park’s summer exhibition will draw artists from throughout NZ who have been inspired by Asian cultural practices. Curated by Gina Ferguson, the exhibition will take place in the centre of the park, at the Rock Garden and in the arboretum’s Asian section of trees. The event celebrates the fifth anniversary of planting an extension to the Asian forest (another 3000 trees in 2020).
The Translation exhibition is intended to highlight how artists draw upon and acknowledge Asian cultural concepts for their artistic expression. It will be the platform to engage participants in a variety of workshops that focus on methods and cultural knowledge originating in Asia.