MAKERS SPACE

Han Nae Kim

Han Nae Kim is one of the tutors here at UXBRIDGE, teaching classes and workshops on the technique kintsugi.

Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea, and is now living and working in Auckland, New Zealand. She majored in Painting at Elam School of Fine Arts (The University of Auckland) and later graduated with a Master of Fine Arts by research degree at Victorian College of the Arts (The University of Melbourne). Kim has also been trained in Asian lacquer art through a number of international artist residencies. Currently, Kim revives the traditional technique of Urushi lacquer along with the use of other favourite mediums such as charcoal and shellac. Kintsugi is one of the techniques that Kim loves to combine with her practice.

Joshua Davison

Joshua Davison is a contemporary artist whose aim is to explore the gap between wood sculpture and painting by merging the two, especially as it seems this technique has had little exploration in the world of painting. His work explores the beauty of nature through accentuating its symmetry and highlighting the saturation of colour we are constantly exposed to yet often overlook.

Although largely self-taught, Josh practices certain traditional techniques that have been used by oil painters for hundreds of years, yet he also developed a few personal techniques which he uses throughout his impasto and sculptural paintings. Josh is meticulous about the creation of his pieces even down to the building of each canvas which he does by hand. It’s a fulfilling process which allows for full control over size, and he finds it helps connect him to each artwork on a deeper level.

Maha Tomo
& Susan K Louie

Pounamu Artist Maha Tomo (Ngai Tahu, Waikato) and Cast Glass Artist Susan K Louie have melded their artistic talent to create beautiful cast glass Taonga in the Kohatu marama- Stone of light Collaboration. These pendants are made using
contemporary techniques that to bring a new twist on traditional pendant shapes such as Toki (adze shapes) and Marama (disc Shapes).

With the effects, challenges, and changes brought about by the covid epidemic over the last three years we wanted to bring a brighter more colorful light to the end of the tunnel sharing artistic excellence to offer something new. Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one transparent substance into another by harnessing these qualities of cast glass the pendants are ever changing in depth of color depending on the angle they are viewed from and what they are placed against, the reflective attributes act as a reminder to always take time to reflect not only on life’s successes but also life’s Challenges.

Christopher Mitch

Christopher has been carving for three years as of June 2023. He is self-taught and has found that hard work and persistence brings great rewards. Christopher has found learning the appropriate Tikanga etiquette and working with our country’s’ most sacred stone to be a huge honour. He believes carving ponamu in all its many forms to be a spiritual act, more so than a physical one.

Carving came to Christopher late in life, and he is thankful to be surrounded by a wonderful group of supporters who came out of the woodwork to guide him. He calls them his carving kaumatua. Christopher wishes to thank Ngai Tahu- the guardians of all ponamu in New Zealand, as they have been generous in gifting him a carvers status, allowing him to buy authenticated stone directly from their store house.

Sam Knight

Arts and crafts have always been a part of Sam’s childhood growing up from scrapbooking to cardmaking to nail art and has always been the type of person keen to try any trending art or craft, particularly when she moved into an empty home she needed to furnish and decorate on a budget.

Sam also enjoys painting and flipping furniture which lead her to consider making terrazzo homewares.

What started out as making Christmas decorations for her family over lockdown in 2021, quickly grew into a passion project in 2022, making unique & versatile home decor originating from a love of terrazzo styles.

Amy Son

Amy takes joy in creating Chubby Ceramics, which is a creative blend of cute and functional art that can be incorporated into our daily lives. She is passionate about adding cute little faces to every ceramic piece she create as it is a way to bring character and life to the ceramics.

The idea of giving simple daily life dinnerware and decor pieces character and personality of their own brightens up her day, and she aspires to do the same for many others who choose to incorporate these characteristic Chubby Ceramics into their everyday lives.

Kelly Oh

Kelly Oh was born in South Korea, and is now living and working in Auckland, New Zealand.

She has been doing ceramic art for 17 years and has a major in visual communication design. Her background is in graphic design, where she developed an eye for pattern and decoration, and uses this throughout her work.

Although best known for her ceramic works, Kelly also works with other artistic mediums, including candle making and leathercraft.

Joy Godwin

Joy Godwin runs Joy’s Handmade Boutique.

She specialises in one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces that are all individually hand-sculpted and crafted with care- resulting in your very own piece of wearable art.

Joy’s work is guaranteed to delight with themes that include tasty and nostalgic foods, special kiwi treats, all kinds of plants, pop-culture and anything cute or whimsical!

She creates earrings, necklaces, keychains, hairclips, pins, bag charms, and more! There is something for everyone, and with such a wide range of subject matter, she is certain to have a wearable art piece that suits your interests.

Cheryl Van Heerdan

Cheryl has always loved making things. Various sewing, crochet, knitting, felting, scrapbooking and embroidery projects have filled her leisure time for many years. Acquiring new skills and putting them to use gives her great joy.

It took a trip to Windsor Castle and the fascination of seeing Queen Mary’s dolls house plus having a corner cabinet at home filled with a collection of glasses no one used or looked at much, for Cheryl to realise this cabinet was perfect for a miniature setting of her own. And so it began.
She would love to show you a few simple techniques to create beautiful miniatures for gifts or for a dolls house of your own.

Cheryl is now a member of the NZAME – New Zealand Association of Miniature Enthusiasts.