Robbie Nairn

Mauao, Mount Maunganui

Growing up amongst the trees in beachside New Zealand, Robbie Nairn became influenced by his natural surroundings from a young age. Nairn’s native bird sculptures celebrate elegant avian forms through New Zealand native timbers and salvaged metals, which carry rich and colourful histories.

Salvaged wood and timber - from iconic colonial building materials to naturally deposited driftwood - are used as the starting inspiration for each sculpture.

The provenance of each piece, with its cracks, scars and blemishes often inspires the ultimate form of each work. The contrast of old and new is explored, where heavily weathered exteriors give way to silky smooth curves with rich colour and line. Salvaged post-consumer metals are recovered and reborn to create harmonious colour and material contrast.

The dynamic and minimalist essence of each creature is captured, from the calm and graceful, to the watchful and stoic.