The Poi Room is so excited to be hosting Simon Lewis Wards Sugar Rush Exhibition at our Newmarket Gallery. It will be on show from the 28th May till the 4th June. We chatted with Simon to get a bit of an understanding about this exhibition and what made him create the pieces he did.
What is the inspiration around Sugar Rush?
SUGAR RUSH is a further exploration of our collective human longing for nostalgia. Using a broad range of mediums including cast glass, steel, resin, slip cast porcelain, concrete, wool, screen printing and plastic I played with colour, scale and texture with a vision to provide the viewer with the child like sensations we all so vividly remember.
Where do you find inspiration as an Artist? What are the themes/inspiration/stories behind your pieces?
I find it in memories. I try and capture physical representations of special times in my life. In the process of doing that I’ve found the people around me also share these feelings, part of me thinks they might be the best times of our lives and it would be a sad thing to lose them. Nostalgia is the common theme.
What do you love most about working & living in Aotearoa?
People really support local artists and there’s an appreciation for locally made. The can-do attitude of other small businesses is very inspiring to me. I find that people will work to get any job done, I lived in Paris for 4 years and it was the exact opposite. On a more personal note, living overseas also made me realise how important it is to me to be close to family and friends. And of course the beaches and greenery are the cliche answer for a reason, they’re amazing. They bring me peace, especially out in Waitakere where I live and work.
What is your studio/creative space like?
I’m lucky enough to have found my dream space. It’s an industrial warehouse that you’d usually find in the city, but it’s placed up on the ridge of the Waitakere ranges. When I’m getting inside my own head I walk out the roller door and the expansive views out to the Kaipara Harbour instantly calm me. My fiancé also says it’s the perfect spot for a first date.
What drew you to working with The Poi Room? Describe your relationship with The Poi Room & how our values fit with your business.
The Poi Room was one of my first galleries. They’ve always been amazingly supportive of not just me, but many of our local artists. They’ve been extremely patient as I’ve developed the business side of things, which definitely wasn’t my strength to start out with! We’re currently working on a custom installation for the store, which we’ll launch soon and are really excited to share.
"Turning Youthful Memories Into Art - I always heard people say that once you've found your passion, it wasn't like going to work anymore. Now, I know what that means! I enjoy making work that sparks joy & conjures fond memories. I turn youthful memories into Art - the result is nostalgic, unique & a bit of fun."
