Fri, Aug 16, 2024 11:00 AM
Familiar faces return to WOW
Mike Ward is no stranger to the World of Wearable Arts competition. Photo: Gordon Preece.
Gordon Preece
A World of Wearable Arts veteran and his son are among the local finalists in the most theatrical event on the Aotearoa artworks calendar.
Nelson art studio co-owners Mike Ward and his son Jonty’s creation will grace the stage this year following their 2018 success with, Bedazzled, which made the finals.
While the name, category, description or photos of their creation this year, can’t be revealed until the World of Wearable Arts (WOW) awards night on 27 September, Mike says it’s a “spectacular piece” and lauded Jonty for its patterns.
“It’s hundreds of hours, a lot of paint, a lot of sewing, and a lot of canvas, and I've employed one of Jonty’s patterns in this one as well,” he says.
“He only sees out the one eye, but he seems to do brilliantly out of the one through a contact lens, but he draws these very detailed geometric patterns, they’re quite extraordinary things.
“This year’s [creation] has been rejected once…there were two models that had to do a transition midway through, so I've simplified it hugely and made it much more elaborate, much more detailed.”
Mike, who has entered the contest since 2001 with 27 creations to his name, including 2005’s Supreme Award winner, says the name of his and Jonty’s creation stems from the title of a new book he’s writing.
“I hope [the audience] love [the creation], I think the title will puzzle them, but from a very old artist, adventurer and casual politician, it resonates, it’s a good story.
“My pieces always have a story, I will know the pedigree of the pieces, some of them have parents, I know what they had for breakfast, I know how they would behave, and when you know these things then you can let your imagination run loose and try and create something that performs.”
Richmond’s Coral Ellis, Cassandra Thomson and defending Supreme Award champion Gill Saunders, are also among the local finalists, along with Frances Kidd from Nelson, Lauren Kidd from Upper Moutere, and Christine Wingels from Collingwood.
