Congratulations to the 32 finalists of the 2025 RT Nelson Awards for Sculpture
Here you will find information on the artworks in the exhibition: they are listed alphabetically by artist First Name and Second Name.
FLIPBOOK – mobile & responsive and good on desktop. Not sure about tablet. A lot easier to scroll through than the following methods
COLUMNS BLOCK V1: vertical. Mobile & tablet responsive and not bad on desktop. A lot to scroll through on mobile & tablet

BEN PEARCE, Napier
Artwork: Hazy Days, wood.
Ben has been recognised as a finalist in the Wallace Art Award in 2008 and clinched the Wallace People’s Choice award in 2009. His work can be found in galleries and private collections worldwide, from the iconic Sarjeant Gallery in Wanganui to other locales in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and the USA

BEN YOUNG, Tauranga
Artwork: Millenium, concrete, metal and glass, by Ben Young, Tauranga.
Ben’s works captures the essence of the ocean’s boundless expanse and the intricate interplay between land and sea with striking clarity, beauty, and depth, whether imbuing the restless energy of crashing waves or the serene stillness of a sunlit shoreline.

BIRGIT MOFFATT, Otaki
Artwork: Weaving in and Out, harakeke.
German-born sculpture artist Birgit Moffatt finds inspiration in natural materials and traditional Māori art forms. With a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Textiles and a Certificate in Māori Art Weaving, Brigit’s artistic practice is founded upon her love for tactile processes and influenced by the values and belief systems of Te Ao Māori, particularly in connection with te taiao (the natural world.

BEN PEARCE, Napier
Artwork: Hazy Days, wood.
Ben has been recognised as a finalist in the Wallace Art Award in 2008 and clinched the Wallace People’s Choice award in 2009. His work can be found in galleries and private collections worldwide, from the iconic Sarjeant Gallery in Wanganui to other locales in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and the USA

BEN YOUNG, Tauranga
Artwork: Millenium, concrete, metal and glass, by Ben Young, Tauranga.
Ben’s works captures the essence of the ocean’s boundless expanse and the intricate interplay between land and sea with striking clarity, beauty, and depth, whether imbuing the restless energy of crashing waves or the serene stillness of a sunlit shoreline.

BIRGIT MOFFATT, Otaki
Artwork: Weaving in and Out, harakeke.
German-born sculpture artist Birgit Moffatt finds inspiration in natural materials and traditional Māori art forms. With a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Textiles and a Certificate in Māori Art Weaving, Brigit’s artistic practice is founded upon her love for tactile processes and influenced by the values and belief systems of Te Ao Māori, particularly in connection with te taiao (the natural world.
COLUMNS BLOCK V2: horizontal. Mobile & tablet responsive and good on desktop. A lot to scroll through on mobile & tablet

BEN PEARCE – Napier
Artwork: Hazy Days, wood.
Pearce completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in sculpture at Whanganui Quay School of Fine Arts in 2003. Pearce won the Molly Morpeth sculpture award in 2014; the No.8 Wire award in 2016 and the Collin Post Four Plinth commission in 2022. Recently he was selected as the first Assisting Regional Artists Charitable Trust (ARA) recipient which supports artists for a year to focus on practice.
‘I’m interested in the idea of cursed objects, or objects that bring bad or good luck. This notion of an object consisting of more than the sum of its part is intriguing. My artistic philosophy is rooted in this notion of our ability as artists to release some of our spirit and a small volume of ourselves into each object we make, giving it power and equally releasing ourselves of power.’
And then write the artwork statement here – ‘I’m interested in the idea of cursed objects, or objects that bring bad or good luck. This notion of an object consisting of more than the sum of its part is intriguing. My artistic philosophy is rooted in this notion of our ability as artists to release some of our spirit and a small volume of ourselves into each object we make, giving it power and equally releasing ourselves of power.’

BEN YOUNG, Tauranga
Artwork: Verge, Laminated float glass, cast concrete & stainless steel, $
Ben’s works captures the essence of the ocean’s boundless expanse and the intricate interplay between land and sea with striking clarity, beauty, and depth, whether imbuing the restless energy of crashing waves or the serene stillness of a sunlit shoreline.

BIRGIT MOFFATT, Otaki
Artwork: From Two Worlds, harakeke and string.
German-born sculpture artist Birgit Moffatt finds inspiration in natural materials and traditional Māori art forms. With a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Textiles and a Certificate in Māori Art Weaving, Brigit’s artistic practice is founded upon her love for tactile processes and influenced by the values and belief systems of Te Ao Māori, particularly in connection with te taiao (the natural world.
From Two Worlds is a cross-pollination of influences from Birgit’s birthplace Berlin and Aotearoa/New Zealand, her adopted home for the past 13 years. This artwork is a reflection of public artworks on buildings that dominated the cityscape of East Berlin in the 70’s and 80’s, ubiquitous works of art that were often abstract geometric and cubic in nature.
The work is constructed from cylindrical, hand-cut and dried harakeke leaves, which are then carefully threaded into their final form.
The shadows cast in this work can vary from soft to theatrical depending on the light source, adding a fourth dimension to the work. Through my work I aim to convey ideas of identity, place, belonging and self- discovery: peeling back my layers to reveal my true nature and finding my place in Aotearoa.
GALLERY BLOCK – mobile & tablet responsive but not great on desktop – very limited space for text. A lot to scroll through on mobile & tablet

BEN PEARCE – Napier
Artwork: Hazy Days, wood.
Ben has been recognised as a finalist in the Wallace Art Award in 2008 and clinched the Wallace People’s Choice award in 2009. His work can be found in galleries and private collections worldwide, from the iconic Sarjeant Gallery in Wanganui to other locales in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and the USA

Millenium, concrete, metal and glass, by Ben Young, Tauranga.
Ben’s works captures the essence of the ocean’s boundless expanse and the intricate interplay between land and sea with striking clarity, beauty, and depth, whether imbuing the restless energy of crashing waves or the serene stillness of a sunlit shoreline.

BIRGIT MOFFATT – Otaki
Artwork: Weaving in and Out, harakeke.
German-born sculpture artist Birgit Moffatt finds inspiration in natural materials and traditional Māori art forms. With a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Textiles and a Certificate in Māori Art Weaving, Brigit’s artistic practice is founded upon her love for tactile processes and influenced by the values and belief systems of Te Ao Māori, particularly in connection with te taiao (the natural world.

DI TOCKER – Cambridge
Artwork: Smash, cast glass
Di expertly manages the intense glass-casting process. , navigating heavy plaster molds, roaring kilns, and meticulously crafting and polishing each piece with diamond tools until it glows. Her shimmering pieces are the result of a discerning eye and unwavering resolve, resulting in suspended rich colours that dance in the light.
PDF upload 4 columns – not mobile & tablet responsive and ugly on desktop.

PDF upload 3 columns – not mobile & tablet responsive and ugly on desktop.
