From the 21 Vases I created with the bark of the Pohutukawa trees in Waihi Beach (Orokawa Bay) I have selected 3 vases and 1 Container to go into the exhibition Clear As Mud Waihi .

Those vases are inspired by the Pohutukawa trees @ Orokawa Bay, Waihi.

Our favorite place in the Bay of Plenty is Waihi Beach. We love walking along the coastline to a hidden beach called Orokawa Bay. Powerful, centuries-old Pohutukawa trees line the shore.

In February 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle lashed the bay with gale-force winds. Large swells and record rainfall caused the sea to rise, destroying the shoreline.

When we visited the beach a little while later, I was devastated. A lot of the trees had been uprooted, washed out, and lay flat. It was such a horrific sight! I collected some bark and branches to take home with me. What could I do to remember those once-beautiful trees? I decided to make vases. I designed them by delivering targeted, rhythmic, and powerful blows into the soft clay.

These vases are meant to evoke the natural aesthetics of the tree trunks. I became deeply immersed in the process, and in the end, 

I was amazed by how many vases I had created! Some of them will be on display at the next exhibition, “Clear As Mud,” in Waihi.