And just when you thought you’d seen ‘em all, another gorgeous artist-run studio space has popped up in town..
Studio 4 is just a roller door down from the Far East Roastery, on Awapuni Road. It’s the creative home to Nikki Renwick and Nathan Foon, and a rapidly growing collection of beautifully rendered clay objects, paintings and prints.
Nikki goes by the artist name of Namiko Native Design. Originally from Westport, she landed here on the East Coast after a decent stint over the ditch.
A self-taught artist, she’s been creating her whole life; a practice that’s kept on evolving and morphing over time, from jewellery to ceramics, to digital art. Now that she has a space away from the distractions of home, with its limitations on sprawl, Nikki is looking forward to working on some bigger painted pieces and messy ceramic art.
Before embarking on the huge creative undertaking that was transformation of the Tatapouri Bay campground, Nathan Foon had been living in Auckland pursuing his own artistic dreams. He was painting and exhibiting in group shows, providing illustration work for brand collaborations and making artworks for film and television.
Studio 4 is the next step in Nathan’s creative journey, allowing him to wholeheartedly dive back in. And while he says he’ll always love painting, he’s excited about pottery, which is his new favourite medium.
The pair will be inviting other artists to share their studio space via month-long residencies. Recognising the common story of artists investing in a studio space but not quite managing to create or maintain a habit of actually using the space, the idea behind these residencies is the impetus it will give artists to get stuck into a body, or piece of work, in a set period of time.
Nikki and Nathan are looking forward to sharing creative energy with different artists, and seeing how this reflects in their respective outputs during each residency. Studio 4 will also be holding Clay Dates and workshops, with the first one happening soon on March 23!
If you are interested in learning more about Studio 4 residencies, Clay Therapy, Paint and Sips and upcoming workshops get in touch via email on Hello.studio4artspace@gmail.com or call Nikki on O273490657.
Words Sarah Cleave
Photos by Tom Teutenberg
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