Josh Olley

Central Otago

Josh Olley works from his studio in Central Otago, New Zealand. His work is held in collections around New Zealand and is represented by several galleries.

Olley began to teach himself to carve in 1997 with a strong focus on detail and finish. Olley's passion for larger stone sculpture developed naturally as his abilities evolved. He discovered the wonderful quality of the stone that was surrounding him in the lower South Island region and over the years his work has transitioned into large scale works. The human hand is a regular form he sculpts. He particularly favours working with Argillite stone for its hard and durable quality, and its ability to hold a fine edge and detail.

"My work is about us/society - the environment has a reflection on our state of being and to help one, is to help the other. Hands are us - a strong form that seems to be actually present in the rocks - eager to appear and each with a unique voice. The first stage of my sculpture is discovering the form that fits the stone, so the potential of each unique stone remains in the finished piece. This is vital to process and can take years to find. The whole process can take many months of full-time dedicated work, however the satisfaction and strong connection to each piece develops as the form begins to take shape." - Josh Olley