Auckland artist Shane Dudley is well regarded as a sculptor, best known for creating the Lomu-Crowe T20 trophy. Dedicated to departed sporting legends Jonah Lomu and Martin Crowe, the sculpture is based on the design of a toki, Māori adze with a greenstone finish with steel and copper wire binding.

His works are held in private collections around the world.

This commission epitomises Shane’s contribution to New Zealand art, as he has positioned himself between worlds, where Māori and Pākehā elements combine to offer a new direction for contemporary New Zealand art. In Aotea White Cloud, his sculptural pieces effuse the raw beauty of New Zealand’s natural materials. They are refined, statement pieces.

As a Pākehā artist, Shane is also influenced by his Māori whanau (Ngati Porou) that support his creative practice. His work reflects this interwoven relationship, through the way in which he employs recognisable symbols. Collectors with an interest in the way art can highlight what makes this country unique will relish in Shane’s pioneering artistic practice.

While Shane’s works may be constructed from industrial and artistic techniques, what gives them their added natural dimension is the precision of his work, as well as a masterful artistic eye. The way in which he observes a naturally formed pounamu stone and then is able to transcend the material of cement to appear as though it has just been pulled from a river bed is due to the true mastery of his materials.