ARTWORK
ALMOST FREE
Mixed media sculpture, 30cm x 30cm, 2025 - exhibiting in the Brunstreet Street Gallery SMALL WORKS ART PRIZE 2026 in Melbourne Australia.
With this sculpture, I was concerned with making unseen forces visible. The work contemplates an updraft of air lifting sail-like fabric in erratically contoured waves. The fabric is tethered to a mast of sorts, with yarn lashed between them to secure the connection - its coil around the mast reflecting the forces at work. The heavy circular base is a symbol of grounded Earth against which the forces of air operate.
NGA HAU TUPUNA / ANCESTRAL WINDS
Proposed large scale sculptural works exploring the theme of Connectedness
Ancestral Winds are a collection of large scale outdoor works that are conceived to create a dialogue between the elements - air, land and sea - as well as past and present.
They reference sails, air, coastal thresholds, and the Journey Stories of the people of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Curved and folded, the sail-like forms capture the invisible dance of wind currents that sweep across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, the Pacific Ocean, before reaching Aotearoa's shores.
The apparently floating sails are rooted to the earth through their masts and bases—a deliberate tension between movement and permanence, voyage and arrival, freedom and constraint.
The works activate the landscape, making visible the constant exchange between elements, marking threshold and transition, celebrating our journeys to Aotearoa New Zealand and the connections that bind us to this place and each other.
Karlalise is building these works to scale (based on the maquette collection below) on a commission basis. Build time is approximately 8-12 weeks. They will be sold individually.
The scaled works are 3-4m (h) x 1m (w) x 1m (d), made of cement, wood, steel, aluminum and paper (and various epoxy and aqua sealant products).
The first large scale work will be completed by March 2026.
Please CONTACT her for details, to express your interest or make an order.
* Rendered from artist constructed maquettes
THE MAQUETTE COLLECTION - ANCESTRAL WINDS
The Maquette Collection of Ancestral Winds is also available for purchase, individually or collectively.
These maquettes are 30-40cm (h) x 30cm (w) x 30cm (d), made of wood, cement, paper and aluminum, and various acrylic paints / sealants. They were completed in 2025.
Individual maquettes are shown in 3D below.
Please CONTACT for details or to secure one or all.
ARTIST COMMENT - NGA HAU TUPUNA / ANCESTRAL WINDS
Of all the elements, I have the most affinity with air. The invitation to respond to the dynamic flow of air currents across oceans and shore was therefore irresistible to me.
I am the child of a first generation Dutch immigrant, married to a first generation Polish / South African immigrant and sailor. The notion of journeys or voyages and displacement leading to new cultural identities is a real, lived experience for me and so many others in Aotearoa New Zealand. Matariki gives us the opportunity to remember and reflect on those Journey Stories.
Of Earth's materials, I feel a deep, sensory connection to trees, plants and wood, and view paper as an extension of that connection. I am captivated by the potential for paper and wood to harden into thin but strong forms that appear to defy gravity and embody flow and fluidity.
The works are deeply emotional for me. I would like others to walk among them, perceiving their monumental scale and feeling the embrace of their gentle, organic forms. The pearlescent and finely cross-hatched paintwork on the surfaces adds to their elevating presence. In my experience, even the maquettes draw a small gasp from their audience. I find them both reassuring and emotionally compelling and would appreciate the opportunity to share them.
Ancestral Winds I
Ancestral Winds II
Ancestral Winds III
Ancestral Winds IV
Ancestral Winds V
Ancestral Winds VI
Ancestral Winds VII
Ancestral Winds VIII
Ancestral Winds IX
HOROTIU and the HIDDEN WATERWAY - NZ Sculpture on Shore 2025
Karlalise designed, oversaw the creation of and installed the Devonport Primary School installation for NZ Sculpture on Shore 2025.
The sculpture was called HOROTIU AND THE HIDDEN WATERWAY, and it was built by students from Years 0-6 (ages 5 to 11). The work was made with paper mache, foam, wire, wood and metal, and acrylic paint. There were lighting and sound elements to the installation also. The work was 3m (h) x 4m (d) x 4m (w). It was built and completed in 8 months in 2025.
The sculpture was based on the Maori legend of Horotiu, the Taniwha that lives in the (since Colonialism) polluted waterways of Tamaki Makarau Auckland, now covered by Queen Street and surrounding buildings and roadways.
AWARD
This work won HIGHLY COMMENDED in the schools section of the NZ Sculpture on Shore 2025.
TANIWHA MASKS 2024
In 2024, Karlalise assisted Devonport Primary School with the props / costumes for their bi-annual school production. She produced 3x Taniwha masks to be held and used in various dance routines by young children.
The masks were based on the myth of Rock, Fire and River taniwhas. They were constructed with paper mache, card, and selected acrylic paints. Each mask measured 80cm (w) x 60cm (h) x 10cm (d).
