Liz Harrop’s ceramics are a celebration of our native bird life on Waiheke. Her native bird representations increase our appreciation of the diversity of New Zealand’s native bird population, including the many extinct species that are a part of our history.

Michelle Barber: What's your background?

Liz Harrop: I am originally from Surrey in the UK. I met my kiwi husband Dan in a pub in Clapham Junction and six months later we were planning our emmigration to New Zealand. Waiheke was the destination we chose, close enough to his parents and family in Auckland city but with a beautiful idyllic setting to hopefully have and raise our children. Ten years on we now have three wonderful children and an amazing network of friends and family on the Island.

MB: How long have you been making art?

LH: I started my art journey way back in my teen years. I had always been drawn to arts and craft activities as a child and along with my two sisters we decorated our Barbie house and made her a wardrobe using old curtains and wallpapers. As I made my way through education in the UK I always had a creative element to my study be it textiles, 2D and 3D Art or photography. My main focus was textiles but I also loved ceramics and during my art and design foundation course, pre Uni, my main mediums were clay and fabrics. I continued to use my textile background throughout my career at Speedo developing the learn-to-swim suits and the olympic swimwear. It wasn't until I met my new neighbour on the Island, Belinda Fabris, in 2014 that I returned to clay in her studio and haven’t looked back.

Huia, in the garden at The Middle Restaurant & Bar as part of the Surfdale Art Stroll

MB: What does your work aim to say, if anything?

LH: Since moving to New Zealand I have been fascinated by the native birds and the passion people have to protect them across the nation. We are incredibly lucky on Waiheke to have so much bird life and I have come to appreciate how beautiful and vulnerable they are. A lot of my work focuses around native birds and hopefully captures other people's love for them.

MB: Who are your biggest artistic influences?

LH: I am not sure any of my favourite artists directly influence my work but they are more of an appreciation of texture, colour and confidence that I am drawn to in each of them. As a younger artist I loved Tracy Emin and Damion Hirst. Their work was shocking for their time in the 90’s. They were artists who were deliberately provocative and I loved the big trips to the ‘city’ to see their work. I also fell in love with Antonio Gaudi whilst on a field trip in Barcelona. His distinctive style characterised by voluptuous colour and texture is just wonderful to be in front of. Photos just do not do it justice.

My favourite ceramic artist, at present, would be Rachel Boxnboim. She is an Isreali designer, recently graduated from the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. Rachel casts ceramic tea services inside fabric moulds. I just love the texture and movement she manages to achieve by using fabric moulds.

MB: How does living on Waiheke Island influence your work?

LH: OMG the birds here! They are amazing, especially watching the Kaka flying over the house at almost exactly the same time every day. They really are creatures of habit. The keruru diving on the air currents are just a spectacle to watch and nearly getting hit by a Tui that is chasing the sparrows and then hearing their distinctive calls from the trees is wonderful. Each bird is so special and I long to see more of them return to the island.