shann whitaker
Shann Whitaker, Mangawhai
Shann on 'Grow'...
What does the term Grow mean to you in your art?
Trying new techniques and materials
How has your art/process/aesthetic grown over time?
Yes it has. As I move forward my artwork is becoming more and more 3 dimensional and textured.
What is your favourite thing to grow? Anything you can’t grow?
Cherry tomatoes, I love watching them turn red and then picking them, roasting them with garlic and rosemary and bottling them
Is there anything from your childhood that’s had spurred growth and develop into your artwork?
Thinking along the lines of you grew and your art grew with you. Probably collaging different ideas and textures together. Looking back, I was always interested in using found objects that had interesting shapes to apply artwork to.
Favourite plant?
Venus fly trap
A bit more from Shann...
As a visual artist I am always looking at ways to portray and share my ideas through contemporary art. It all started at such an early age and at no stage did I ever think of doing anything else but paint, draw, design and create. Over time my career has taken many paths and this maybe due to living in so many different countries. I have enjoyed the freedom of meandering across the world and taking in the wonderful cultures and splendor that this world has to offer. I created a NZ inspired art and gifts company. I have created exhibitions in Denmark and artworks for businesses in London. I have painted murals in Greece and Australia. I designed and ran a New Zealand inspired art and design store and recently I owned a gallery and created artwork for hotels and resorts out of Vietnam. This experience and joy has lead me back to New Zealand and has inspired me to create my new series of work,exploring some of the themes and asking myself where I actually belong on this crazy planet.
My current work which I like to call ‘Creative Earth’ pulls in techniques, ideas and inspiration from the many places I have visited while having one foot always planted firmly in New Zealand. It is abstract art, textural and tactile, art with meaning, inspired by nature, all tied together with some worldly string.
