Lucy Mhoma
Artist/Tutor
As a child I loved to draw. Fortunately my parents valued and encouraged my creativity which gave me a foundation to build upon in later life.
For years drawing became a visual diary of my adventures, observations and experiences.
At the age of twenty one, I decided to become a sculptor. While living in Europe during my early twenties, I developed a growing awareness of how sculpture plays a vital part in our environment.
Since my specialized training with special needs adults and children, I worked as an apprentice, with professional sculptors in Scotland, Italy, Austria and Zimbabwe. I then went on to study sculpture at Tom Bass Sculpture School in Sydney for two years.
Some time later I flew to Africa to work with the Shona sculptors in a remote Zimbabwe community called Tengenenge.
It was a profound experience! Hundreds of mud huts huddled together, inside each hut there was a family with at least one member being a sculptor. We carved beautiful, local stone with hand-made tools.
All at once, my values and everything I believed in magnified. Africa taught me how to live happily with less and how to live a more sustainable life.
On the plane to Zimbabwe, I sat next to a delightful Tanzanian sculptor called Lucy. As you can imagine we had a lot to talk about, we laughed all the way to Africa! Lucy invited me to visit her in Tanzania and we somehow knew we would meet again. The dream came true! Our meeting, along with my time in Zanzibar was another turning point in my life as an artist.
At dusk when I ventured out to draw the people and unique life of Zanzibar, all the children came running up to me, quietly and curiously watching with their big, black eyes.
The integral essence and spirit of all indigenous people has given depth to several themes in my paintings and sculpture. It is this soul quality which gives life and meaning to my work.
My work is inspired by nature, the experiences I have had in different cultures, the people I have met and the community they live in. I love painting with oil and acrylic, using texture with either mixed media on quality canvas or scratching the wet paint on the surface of recycled wood. Although I have a passion for stone, I also love to explore plaster, recycled wood and metal or a combination of these materials. Each painting and sculpture holds a certain simplicity, with the aim to evoke a positive emotional response.
Even though my restless, free spirit thrives on discovering the unknown by travelling to far off lands, it is always a wonderful feeling to return home to New Zealand.
Teaching art and sharing my passion is also something I enjoy. My aim is to encourage each individual to find their own unique creative expression. I run workshops for adults and children, and one on one classes for those with special needs.
Having exhibited in New Zealand for the past 20 years, my work has now found it's way all around the world.
I presently live in Selwyn, New Zealand with my husband and two sons.