Dennis Berdinner

BA (Hons), Dip Teaching

I have been sculpting for as long as I can remember. Sculpture is a life-long passion for me. I work with soft and hard stone, wood, metal, snow and ice. I tutor in the techniques of sculpture. The scale of my work ranges from hand-held netsuke-like pieces through desk sculpture to large work appropriate for outdoor spaces. It functions as heirloom, gift, adornment or indoor/outdoor sculpture.

It draws on two sources: the external coastal environment where I live and my own inner world of the imagination. Through these works I explore my relationship with time, place and people. Creating sculpture is a process of self-revelation. Frequently a completed work helps me to establish an understanding of the world I experience. They become mirrors of awareness. Commissioned work often leads to new challenges.

Amongst other activities in the art world, I am a member of the Sculpture Symposium Trust, which organised five international symposia on Wellington’s waterfront and am currently exploring options for new creative events.