Well-known east Auckland artist Tony Clarke has won the People’s Choice Award in this year’s Estuary Art and Ecology Award at Uxbridge Arts and Culture in Howick.
Visitors to the exhibition, which was on display in Uxbridge’s Malcolm Smith Gallery from July 1 to August 26, were invited to cast their votes for the People’s Choice Award.
Making a strong impression on voters, Clarke’s The Return of The Kuaka (Godwit) joins artworks by judge Benjamin Work’s award-winners Lisa Bate, Daisy Nicholas, Brendan Kitto and merit prize winners Kiran McKinnon and Andrew Rankin.
Speaking about his work, Clarke commented about the ecological inspiration behind the work.
“Every day I walk the Rotary Tāmaki Estuary walkway,” Clarke said.
“This daily contact with nature is very important to my state of mind and well-being … I hope my work can help to promote the protection of this incredible biodiverse environment which we are lucky enough to have, right at our doorstep.”
Uxbridge director Paul Brobbel said that while every work in the exhibition garnered votes from the public, several pieces in particular impressed audiences with Clarke’s entry taking the most votes.
Brobbel also noted Clarke’s connections to Uxbridge where the artist’s expertise is in high demand as he leads several abstract and acrylic painting workshops in addition to operating his own Fine Arts School programme of classes.
“It’s a pleasure to see Tony’s work taking home accolades, both through the exhibition programme at Uxbridge and through the community’s demand for his talents as an educator.”
Now in its 17th year, the Estuary Art and Ecology Award is the only contemporary art prize in Aotearoa New Zealand with ecology at its core.
Artists are invited to research and respond to the Tāmaki Estuary in their own unique ways, to underscore the ecological value of this vital waterway and encourage action against its pollution.
The team at Uxbridge is already preparing for the 18th edition of the Estuary Art and Ecology Awards in 2024.
