Based in Richmond, Maggie has been a practicing artist for over ten years. A sculptor who also paints, in 2012 she took two years out in order to complete a Master of Fine Arts at Whitecliffe College of Art and Design in Auckland where she graduated with Honours in 2014, and since that time her work has taken on a new direction. Currently her art practice is ecologically based as she returns to the philosophies of her upbringing. Transforming unexpected materials into artworks that incorporate messages about community, consumerism, waste disposal and respect for our environment, Maggie’s site specific work is often textile related. These intriguing pieces encourage viewers to look closely at the work and to question the messages carried within them, and to look at their behaviours relating to the survival of our planet. The colourful and often quirky artworks have a wide appeal and the concepts knitted, crocheted and wired into their very fabric, are delivered in an attractive and ‘quiet’ manner. In the 1960s, the artist and philosopher Joseph Beuys created the concept of ‘social sculpture’ where communities work together to create a natural environment where art unites and uplifts society.
“I believe that we can make a difference if everyone makes small changes and we work together to keep our world a safe, healthy and happy place in which to live. This simple philosophy underpins my art making and my way of life,” says Maggie.