Join us at Sir Miles Warren Gallery to hear from four Ōtautahi-based makers – each speaking to a project they wish they’d made.

Whether it’s something that’s left them inspired, intrigued, or a little creatively envious, each speaker will unpack what draws them to the work and why it resonates.

A designer, a jeweller, a ceramicist and a textile artist – your speakers are Ben Wahrlich, Emma Wallbanks, Renée Pearson and Tamara Rookes.

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Founder of Nightworks Studio, Ben Wahrlich is a leader in the lighting design field with over two decades of professional experience working across art, architecture and product design - across Australasia. He has a passion for 'fun' manufacturing processes and pursues innovation in his work. This pursuit has culminated in a multitude of international accolades spanning over his career.

Emma Wallbanks is a multi-disciplinary artist currently based in Lyttelton. She studied at Ilam School of Fine Arts between 2012 and 2019 attaining a First Class Honors and a Master of Fine Arts. Alongside her exhibiting work, Emma Wallbanks founded her own independent clothing label in 2019, branded ‘Fascinating but Potentially Dangerous’. Akin to her visual practice, Wallbanks’ label focuses on the ‘edge’ as a thematic starting point. Clothing pieces are all one offs and treated much like her earlier sculptural works and video installations, insofar as their repurposed nature and rebellious sensibility.

Renée Pearson is a visual artist, stone carver and jeweller. Born in Ōtautahi Christchurch in 1991, Renée grew up in a small village in the southern alps. These formative years, exploring the surrounding landscape, fostered a passion for the land that grew alongside her, and continues to be an important influence in her work. Working predominantly with greywacke, the most common of New Zealand stones, Renée‘s objects present an archaeological reference alluding to the transience of the human situation. Renée completed a Certificate in Design at Christchurch Polytechnic in 2012 and a Bachelor of Applied Arts at Whitireia Polytechnic in 2018.

Tamara Rookes is a Scandinavian artist who works predominantly in clay with a focus on hand built sculptural pieces. Originally from Sweden, her aesthetic is inspired by mythology. Tamara draws from the juxtaposition between the raw and refined, pushing the boundaries of conventional beauty. She works from her studio/gallery in Ferrymead Christchurch. Her work has been featured in several group and solo exhibitions.

I wish I’d made that