Mr Neil Dawson CNZM

 Artist - Sculptor

Mr Neil Dawson holds a Diploma of Fine Arts (Hons) from Canterbury University and a Graduate Diploma in Sculpture from the Victorian College of Arts in Melbourne.  Since 1979 he has compiled an impressive portfolio of works displayed in New Zealand and overseas.

 Mr Dawson represented New Zealand at the Sydney Biennale in 1988 (The Biennale of Sydney is an international festival of contemporary art, held every two years in Sydney, Australia) and at the Magiciens de la Terre, Georges Pompidou Centre, Paris in 1989 (a contemporary art exhibition at the Centre Georges Pompidou and the Grande halle de la Villette in Paris, France). In 2003 Neil was awarded an Arts Laureate by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand. The following year he was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

 Mr Dawson’s pieces are made from laser cut metal and they convert and let light in and around them, leading to changes in shadow, perspective and volume. Although made of metal, his sculptures seem to defy gravity and the heaviness of the medium. The delicate detailing and patterning of his works are drawn from various sources, such as porcelain patterns, building materials, and flora and fauna. He has mainly focussed on large scale pieces and some of his best known ones will be recognisable when you see them.

 Some of which are:

 Internationally

·         The Main Entry Artworks at the Stadium of Australia for the Olympic Games in 2000

·         “Fanfare”, which he installed on the Sydney Harbour Bridge for New Year 2004/05 and now welcomes you into Christchurch city on the northern motorway.

·         “Raindrops” and “Wellsphere” reside in Manchester, United Kingdom,

·         “Globe” in Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.

·         “Feather from Afar” in Pudong Shanghai,.

 In New Zealand

·         the  “Chalice” in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, which has become a symbol of earthquake resilience,

·         and “Ferns” in Civic Square, Wellington.

·         “Echo” which hung in the north quad of the Arts Centre but was damaged by a crane then rebuilt.  After the earthquake of 2011 it was re-installed in its rightful place

·         “Horizons” installed at the Gibbs Farm Sculpture Park in 1995. 

 While at Hastings Boys’ High School Mr Dawson’s sketches appeared in the annual Heretaungan magazine.  In 1965 he was the Senior Diving Champion and he helped build an elaborate and convincing submarine for the production “Morning Departure”.