Weka Gallery was established in 2004 when Craig Powell and Liz Downey purchased the ex Rai Valley Butchery premises in Marlborough.
Rai Valley is situated on State Highway 6 approximately half way between Blenheim and Nelson.

Prior to the opening of their seasonal gallery in Marlborough, Craig and Liz were based in Leith Valley, Dunedin and have been working in clay
at their property since the mid 1990’s.

Both have received their Bachelor of Fine Arts from Otago Polytechnic; Liz in 2000 majoring in Craft Design and Craig in 2002 majoring in Ceramics. Liz also has a Ceramics Certificate obtained at the beginning of her arts career in 1992.

Liz’s final exhibition was the culmination of her study into the techniques of casting glass that enabled her to make a close examination of the vessel as vehicle for expression.

Craig’s direction has also explored the medium of glass but within the context of ceramics and he has developed frits (ground glass) for use on sculptural and pottery pieces. He also enjoyed the academic environment of Otago Polytechnic and developed an interest in post-modern existential philosophy that perceived the free conscious self at liberty to describe a personal imaginative creativity. His sculptural practice employs a binary of human association that has elements of animal and landscape forms.

Liz and Craig have worked together as a creative team to produce
a range of domestic pottery while also retaining personal creative visions. Liz has a strong colour sense and a spontaneous decorative style that gives her ware a lightness that provides an ongoing satisfaction in a domestic setting.

The themes of decoration use some Pacific motifs but are mainly concerned with spontaneous markings and personal decorative language. The work develops its uniqueness through a series of layers each defined by a specific technical process. The ceramic body is custom made by Craig using raw materials from the Otago region and specially processed to provide qualities essential to subsequent processes. It is given extra strength by the addition of silica sand, a seldom-used traditional material. The form of the ware is developed from either rolled slabs or thrown pieces that are manipulated to give each piece individual character. All the pieces then receive a coating of liquefied white clay that provides a ground of subtle variation that is able to illuminate the colours of the transparent glass.

'Some things I just couldn't get out' 
210 mm cast lead crystal/ fine silver

'Dark Horse' 
Ceramic 1150 mm