Chris Van Doren is of Niuean, Samoan and Dutch descent. A sculptor for the last 16 years, he has a studio space at the Pacifica Arts centre in West Auckland. With a background in panel beating he utilises the skills of his trade to sculpt a variety of mediums from copper and steel to wood and hard stone and recycled car parts.

Chris’s works have evolved over the years and still retain the essence of the vaka, the land and sea with flow movement, lines and form. Growing up in Aotearoa with the beaches, the landscape, a beautiful sunset or a swim in the moana, has influenced his practice.

Chris has participated in exhibitions, sculpture symposia and workshops across the country and abroad. He has also been a finalist in the Wearable Arts Show in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

In November 2010, Chris was invited to take part in the Taitung Austronesian Cultural Festival, in Taiwan. He collaborated with Indigenous artists from tribes of Taiwan, and other islands of the Pacific such as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and New Caledonia. The resulting sculpture is now on display in Taiwan.

This is Chris’ second time exhibiting in Sculpture in the Gardens.