Chris Birch Artist

31/08/2026

Available Now: Te Ara Mārama - The Path of Clarity

Rimu: Length: 1180 mm x Width: 127 mm x Thickness: 30 mm

“Titiro whakamuri, kōkiri whakamua.”
Look back and reflect so that we may move forward.

Te Ara Mārama was created to represent the clarity found when we pause, become present and consider the direction in which we are travelling.

The waka hoe symbolises movement, choice and our ability to influence the journey ahead. Although we cannot always control the currents around us or see exactly where the waters will lead, we can choose how we respond. Each stroke becomes a decision—an opportunity to move with purpose rather than simply allowing the current to carry us.

The whakataukī reminds us to look back and draw wisdom from the path already travelled. Our past holds lessons, experiences and knowledge that can help guide us, but it does not need to determine where we go next.

Between the waters behind us and the horizon ahead lies the present moment. It is here that reflection becomes understanding, choice becomes action and a new direction begins.

Choosing a path wisely does not mean having the entire journey mapped out. It means taking the time to see what lies before us, listening to what we know within ourselves and committing to the next deliberate stroke.

Te Ara Mārama represents moving forward with awareness and intention—guided by the lessons of the past, grounded in the present and open to the possibilities still ahead.

The whole path may not yet be visible.
What matters is recognising the next step, choosing it with care and having the courage to begin.

Available Now: DM for details - Shipping available NZ-wide

22/08/2026

Really pleased to share that I’ve been selected to exhibit my work at the Toi Marsden Art Show in Wellington, from 30 October–1 November.

It’s a great opportunity to have my work included alongside so many talented artists, and I’m looking forward to creating some new pieces for the show.

Time to get back into the workshop and start creating!

11/08/2026

Looking for a new wall:

Whakatā, Whakamua — Pause, Then Forward

Sometimes the most powerful way forward begins by stopping.

Created from recycled rimu, this waka hoe carries a story that began long before the final paddle was shaped and the pattern painted. Timber that had already lived two lives has been reclaimed, reshaped and given another — transformed into a piece about reflection, renewal and finding the courage to move forward again.

“Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua.”
Walk backwards into the future.

Whakatā, Whakamua speaks to those moments when life asks us not to paddle harder, but to lift the hoe from the water and pause.

To look back at the waters we have travelled.
To remember the people who have journeyed with us.
To acknowledge the challenges that have shaped us.
To recognise the lessons we carry forward.

Like the recycled rimu itself, our past does not need to define where we finish. It can become part of what carries us into something new.

There is strength in movement, but there is also strength in stillness.

Sometimes progress is not about going faster. It is about creating enough space to ask:

Am I still heading where I need to go?

And when the answer becomes clear, we place the hoe back into the water.

We paddle again.

Whakatā. Whakamua.
Pause. Then forward.

A one-of-a-kind handcrafted artwork for someone beginning a new chapter, marking a significant journey, or needing a reminder that a pause is not the end of progress — it can be where progress begins.

Reclaimed Rimu
1185 mm long × 125 mm wide × 30 mm thick

Available for purchase
Shipping available

If this piece speaks to you, send me a message for price, purchase or further details.

05/08/2026

05/08/2026

A New Journey Begins

From reclaimed timber to a handcrafted paddle—watch this piece take shape.

Follow along to see the finished work.

16/07/2026

From a block of recycled Rimu to an artwork taonga.

Te Hā o te Wā / The Breath in the moment creation

Send a message to learn more

15/07/2026

SOLD: Te Hā o te Wā – The Breath of the Moment

“Ko te hā te taonga e whakahoki mai ana i a tātou ki tēnei wā.”
Breath is the gift that returns us to the present moment.

Life’s journey is much like a waka navigating changing waters. There are seasons when we paddle against strong currents and uncertain skies, and others when calm waters invite us to slow our pace, lift the hoe from the water, and simply breathe.

Te Hā o te Wā embodies that moment of stillness.

Crafted from reclaimed timber, this waka hoe represents the balance between movement and pause. It reminds us that while each paddle stroke carries us forward, not every moment in life calls for action. Sometimes the greatest strength is found in stopping, taking a breath, and allowing ourselves to be fully present.

In te ao Māori, hā is more than breath—it is the life force that connects us to one another, to Papatūānuku, and to the rhythm of life itself. Every breath offers an opportunity to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters before choosing the next direction.

Te Hā o te Wā – The Breath of the Moment is an invitation to embrace those pauses, to find gratitude in both the storms and the sunshine, and to remember that life’s greatest treasures are often discovered not at the destination, but in the quiet moments when we simply stop and breathe.

Length = 1185 mm, Width = 127 mm, Thickness x 28 mm

Rimu

Shipping available: Can be delivered free to Wellington or Wairarapa if purchased by the 18th July 2026.

DM for details

21/06/2026

It feels great to have dropped off three more pieces at The Art Shed, Crab Farm Winery this morning to join Taupunga – Rongokako Te Mata on sale.

I’m incredibly grateful for the support from Paula and her team. My work has been selling well through The Art Shed, which is fantastic, and it’s always special knowing these pieces are finding new homes and continuing their journeys.

Over the last few weeks, two waka-hoe, Te Rerenga – The Flow and Awhi I Ngā Hītori have both found new homes across the motu.

If you’d like to see the latest works available, head over to The Art Shed website and take a look:
https://www.theartshed.co.nz/paintings-prints or pop in to see Paula and her team.

Ngā mihi to everyone who continues to support my creative journey.

Chris

13/06/2026

Head on down to CHB to check out the beautiful artworks that are on display at the Pukehou Art Assembly, grab a raffle ticket while you are there for one of my Waka artworks.

19/04/2026

UPDATE: SOLD - off to Australia!

Aro ki Roto / Turn Within:

Rimu:

L x 1200 mm
W x 135 mm
T x 30 mm

Aro ki roto speaks to the quiet, often unseen journey inward — a deliberate turning of attention away from the noise of the world and back to the self. It is in this space that clarity begins to form, where thoughts settle, and the ngākau/heart finds its voice.

Like a waka pausing between strokes, there is power in stillness. Not all movement is forward; sometimes the most important progress comes from taking the time to reflect, to sit, and to truly see what lies beneath the surface.

This name acknowledges that the answers we seek are often already within us — shaped by our experiences, guided by our wairua, and strengthened through connection to those who walk alongside us.

Aro ki Roto is a reminder to trust that inner knowing, to return to it often, and to carry it forward as we continue navigating our own pathways.

Wkakatauki:

“Mā te aro ki roto ka kitea te māramatanga.”
Through looking within, understanding is found.

Available now: DM for details