CHRIS BAILEY
Ngāti Hako, Ngāti Pāoa, Te Aupouri, Ngāti Porou, Irish
Of Maori descent, born in 1965 and a resident of Waiheke Island, Chis Bailey trained at Auckland University in the traditional Maori material culture techniques of working stone, timber and flax fibre before commencing his career as a sculptor in his early thirties.
Gravitating towards the harder stones of basalt and granite Bailey developed form driven stone works in a larger scale while also developing his carving skills working in timber alongside carvers of Piritahi Marae on Waiheke Island to help dress the fully carved meeting house - Kia Piritahi.
Alongside his stone work Bailey commenced a Pou legacy project in 2005 to develop carved timber pou and have them placed throughout the landscape on Waiheke Island to act as visual prompts to engage the public in Māori narratives about the land and its history.
Bailey in recent years, has been working in bronze as it gives him greater freedom with the forms he wishes to develop.
Recognised for the high quality of his artwork as a senior Maori sculptor in 2005 Bailey was granted life time Toi Iho status by the New Zealand Arts Council – Creative NZ.
Bailey has extensively exhibited and completed a number of public artwork commissions both internationally and nationally with a documentary on his life and works to date completed in 2010.
Awarded James Wallace Trust New Zealand Sculptor 2014
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 Nō Hea Koe?, Milford Galleries, Dunedin.
2016 Ko au, Toi Gallery, Waiheke island, New Zealand
2012 Ngā Korerō Tūpuna, FHE Galleries, Auckland, New Zealand
2008 Motuaarairoa Solo Show, FHE Galleries, Auckland, New Zealand
2006 Chris Bailey - New Works, Waiheke Community Art Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020 Wai Tohu, Waikato Museum, Hamilton, NZ
2019 Headland Sculpture On The Gulf, Waiheke Is, New Zealand
2017 Headland Sculpture On The Gulf, Waiheke Is, New Zealand (Invited artist)
2016 Sculpt Oneroa, Waiheke Island, New Zealand
2015 Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe, Australia (Invited artist) Group Show, Milford Galleries, Dunedin
2014 Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, Australia Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe, Australia
Group Show, Milford Galleries, Dunedin
2013 Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, Australia
2012 From A Distance group show, New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington, New Zealand
2011 Headland Sculpture On The Gulf, Waiheke Island, New Zealand
2010 Aotearoa, FHE Galleries, Auckland, New Zealand Te Kahui o Matariki, group show, North Art, Auckland, New Zealand
2009 53rd Venice Biennale, NZ Room, St Maddalena Church, Venice, Italy Representing New Zealand
Sei per Sei, Carving symposium for public collection. Baselga de Pine, Italy
2008 Mini Masterworks II, Spirit Wrestler Gallery, Canada
2007 Maori Mark Wellington Event Centre, Wellington, New Zealand
2006 Creative New Zealand exhibition, Tokyo, Japan
2005 Maori Meet America exhibition, Yerba Buena Art Museum, San Francisco, USA
COMMISSIONS
2022 "Horotiu", Public art sculpture, Auckland Council, Auckland, NZ
2021 Poutāhuhu to Entry of Hundertwasser Arts Centre, Whangārei, NZ
2020 Ngāti Pāoa Tohu – Public sculpture commission, Commercial Bay, Auckland Wāhi whakanoa – Auckland Museum, South Atrium, Auckland
2019 HuiHui – Part Two, Public sculpture commission for Fearon Park, Auckland Council Public Artwork Collection, New Zealand
Pou Wheku – Kelburn Normal School, Wellington, NZ Pou,
Public art commission, Van Spitz, Dolomites, Italy
2018 Tauranga Waka, Public artwork commission for Auckland CBD, Auckland Council Public Art Collection, New Zealand
2016 Huihui, Public sculpture commission for Fearon Park, Auckland Council, New Zealand
2016 Lead carver to complete the carvings of the traditional Maori meeting house/wharenui Kia Piritahi, Piritahi Marae, Waiheke Island, Auckland
2015 Matakupenga, Public artwork commission for Waiheke Public Art Gallery, Auckland Council, New Zealand.
2011 Pou Tu Te Rangi, Public art installation for Britomart Art Trust, Britomart Precinct, Auckland, New Zealand
2009 Commissioned by Creative New Zealand to provide works for the New Zealand Room, 53rd Venice Biennale, St Maddalena Church, Venice, Italy
2009 Kaitiaki, Public art work commission, Baselga De Pine, Italy
AWARDS AND ACHIEVMENTS
2014 Recipient James Wallace Trust New Zealand Sculptor
2014 for Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, Australia
2014 Pou Tu Te Rangi, nominated for IAPA International Public Art Award for South East Asian Region
2011 Creative New Zealand, New Zealand Arts Council Grant 2011 Runner up – People’s choice, Headland Sculpture On the Gulf, Waiheke Island
2005 Granted lifetime Toi Iho status by Creative NZ for works in sculpture.
COLLECTIONS WORK IS HELD IN
Auckland Council, Creative New Zealand, Britomart Art Trust, Hauraki Iwi Trust, Piritahi Marae Trust, Auckland Museum, Wallace Arts Trust.
FILMS
2010 Ringa Whao, film documentary biography on Chris Bailey, his life and career to date.
