Gareth McGhie - Wellington
Gareth McGhie was born and raised in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. After leaving high school, he trained as a hairdresser and worked in that industry for ten years before gaining an opportunity to join Weta Workshop.
At Weta, his work included props manufacture, miniatures construction, prosthetic make-up, moulding and casting, and on-set work. He went on to hold the role of Workshop Supervisor for five years, running a team of up to 100 artists and technicians. During this time, he contributed to 12 major films including The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia series, District 9, and Avatar. By 2009, after a decade in the film industry, he decided to change direction and accepted a teaching position with WelTec in Wellington.
In his role at WelTec, Gareth has delivered courses in sculpture, model making, mould making, casting, and other disciplines drawn from his professional experience. His teaching has also taken him overseas, with opportunities to deliver art and technology courses in Hong Kong and plans to expand further into China.
Teaching has given Gareth the space to more fully develop his own artistic practice. He has long held a deep passion and admiration for traditional Māori and Pacific arts, particularly whakairo (carving) in an adornment context. With the support and guidance of close friend and respected Hastings carver Stacy Gordine, he refined his skills and developed a personal design language. This mentorship helped him build a growing body of work, marked by both craftsmanship and creative expression.
A dedicated maker, Gareth spends most evenings in his studio, steadily developing a substantial body of work. His practice focuses on lifting levels of complexity through the exploration of new materials and processes. His creative inspiration lies in the synergy of traditional Māori adornment motifs with natural forms, blending traditional and contemporary methodologies to create unique and culturally grounded works.
His growth as an artist has been shaped by working within kaupapa-based projects, which provide structure, collaboration, critique, and professional feedback. Gareth believes strongly in the value of community and shared learning, echoing the social and collaborative structures of ancestral practice. In 2011, he travelled to Te Kaha to learn the art of making taruke (traditional Māori crayfish pots) from a kaumātua of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, an experience that profoundly deepened his learning.
Grounded in a tuakana–teina (mentor–learner) framework, Gareth continues to evolve as both artist and teacher. He embraces project-based learning environments, believing in their importance and relevance for the next generation of artisans. His passion, dedication, and hunger for growth continue to drive his practice and teaching, ensuring his place as both an emerging artist and a mentor to others.
