WHO IS NICK DUVAL-SMITH?
Nicholas Duval-Smith is a Motueka-based Sculptural Artist. Born & educated in Ōtepoti, Nick has completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in jewellery & two Diplomas majoring in Jewellery & Sculpture at Otago Polytechnic School of Fine Arts. Nick's creative practice searches for the 'meeting point' between his love for natural form & simplicity.
Through his bronze sculptures, Nick aims to make forms that people can attach meaning to & create their own stories. Nick's collection has series of group objects such as the 'Moving Mountains' series or the 'Family Treess' series, these bronze sculptures have been designed around the idea of 'dynamic relationships'. The motifs that are seen throughout Nick's sculptures stem from his inspiration of mobility, fluidity & connection.
We are proud to support Nick Duval-Smith!
WHAT IS YOUR ART PRACTICE?
I make small groups of bronze sculptures that you can rearrange. The themes I'm currently working with are mountains & trees. I also make bronze bowls which can be rung like bells, giving a calming effect, & most recently I've started producing large scale work in corten steel. These works are also instruments.
WHAT DOES A NORMAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
I have a really beautiful commute. It's less than fifteen minutes to my studio, alongside an inlet. I arrive & put the jug on, preparing a big insulated pot of tea for a whole day to minimize interruptions. Sounds can be anything from EDM to Angus & Julia Stone. I have several works on the go at once, because I like to keep moving, & the day is a balance of making new work & the admin of managing & promoting existing work.
HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN - WHERE DID THE PASSION FOR THE ARTS COME FROM?
My Grandmother was a gun watercolour painter, & my parents taught me to notice beauty in nature from early on. My father is very good at making things, & my mother is an architectural designer. So it's in the blood, & when I was old enough to understand what an art school was, I knew I wanted to go there. I made my first sculpture when I was 12 years old, & soon learned about the capacity of art to enable connection.
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION AS AN ARTIST?
In Nature, & as my friend Brent used to say at Art School , "work makes work": the more I make, the more ideas I have for new work!
WHAT IS THE THEMES/INSPIRATIONS BEHIND YOUR STORIES?
Connection: the idea that nature & beauty, when we open ourselves to them, help us reconnect with the core parts of our beings, & with each other.
WHAT TYPE OF COFFEE DO YOU DRINK - LONG BLACK, FLATE WHITE?
I have an oat milk flat white occasionally, but I'm big on strong peppermint tea!
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WORKING & LIVING IN AOTEAROA?
The beauty first and foremost, and the friendliness of the people. The sense of possibility here is strong.
WHAT IS YOUR STUDIO/CREATIVE SPACE LIKE?
Industrial, with excellent morning sun & an amazing view. The space shares a building with Frost & Fire Gallery, so I'm meeting people who are into art often, which is really stimulating, & Darryl Frost is a great artist to be working alongside.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR LEGACY /LASTING IMPRESSION TO BE AS AN ARTIST?
I hope to make work that is a gateway to places inside people, places they thought they'd lost.
WHAT DREW YOU TO WORKING WITH THE POI ROOM?
An advertisement on the Guardian's website: I was very impressed The Poi Room were putting Kiwi artists on a world stage, really backing their artists. I just knew I wanted to be part of that team! 