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Kemp Gallery

Contemporary Māori Carving

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Kia ora

Kemp gallery is a whānau of carvers on the shores of Lake Rotomā, Bay of Plenty, Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Joe, Sherie and Teimah Kemp work in wood and stone, carving contemporary Māori sculpture that draws on whakapapa, whenua and the wairua within the material. Self-taught, Joe passed the tools on to Sherie and Teimah — and now all three carve full-time, in an open-air gallery behind the family home.

Together we have exhibited around Aotearoa, including at Sculpture OnShore — the country's largest sculpture exhibition — and we reopened the gallery at Matariki, a time for reflection and new beginnings. We carve in the gallery while the doors are open, so visitors can watch a piece take shape and meet the whānau behind it.

Our hope is that people walk through, enjoy the art, and catch a glimpse of the mind of the maker.

Nau mai, haere mai.

Gallery

Gallery

Carved wooden female face with closed eyes and a purple koru on the lips, emerging from a tree trunk Large wooden carving of a serene face emerging from a split tree trunk, displayed in a garden Large carved hook on a rock by the sea Polished wooden sculpture of a curled bird-headed figure on a black display stand Carved wooden wall piece with a curling form, displayed indoors Carved wooden face post against a blue sky Wooden face carving with green and blue painted patterns emerging from dark bark, mounted on a wall Tall carved wooden post with painted patterns outside a house Red koru carving glowing against a dark background Carved wall panel with a face, hung in the gallery Carved wooden panel with stone inlay leaning against a wall Gallery display of carved stone discs and wooden fish carvings Framed carved panel with a small face on a textured ground Framed artwork of woven copper strips over a carved form Gallery room with stone carvings and framed works on the walls Carved panel in black and red with strong geometric patterns Carved bird-form sculpture on a stand in the gallery Carved wooden face with stone-inlaid eyes and patterns Polished stone carving of a bird on a plinth Carved pedestal table with a stone top, masks on the wall behind Tall carved wooden figure in the gallery Side profile of a face carved and painted on wood Carved face panel with a hanging form in a gallery corner Carved wall panel with a face in blue and grey tones Stone bird carving perched on a carved wooden base Stone carving with a bird form on a white plinth A carver beside a red, white and black carved sculpture at night Tall pale carving with a flame-like top standing in the bush Tall pale carving with a flame-like top seen from behind A carver shaping a large log with a chisel Tall carved post with a face leaning against a timber wall Dark carved figure on a carved pedestal in the gallery Dark carved face on a weathered post Carved post with a face and a green koru pattern on the chest Carved hook with woven detail, close up against the sky Carved wooden form with a blue painted face Two carved wooden panels with painted faces resting on rocks by the water Pointed wooden carving with a face standing in the garden Crescent-shaped carving mounted on a post Bold red, white and black carved sculpture on a plinth Carved hook sculpture on a rock, blue sky behind Carved hook sculpture seen from the side Dark carved face mounted on a timber wall
Contact

Contact

  1. +64 27 248 2831
  2. kempgallery@gmail.com
  3. find us on google maps