Oriah Rapley
Marble Bird Goddess, 2022
Black marble, corten steel
2000 x 350 x 350 mm on corten steel base
Oriah Rapley’s sculptural practice can be interpreted as a continuous refinement towards the purity of form. Rapley experiments with motifs such as the feather, waka and bird to meditate on the interconnected elements of movement and exploration, and the ways in which these journeys may empower and transform us.
Carved from what was once an interior architectural pillar, Marble Bird Goddess carries its own object history and is in itself an example of physical change; metamorphosing during the six months Rapley spent carving and polishing the marble from a timeless structural form into a watchful and mysterious figure.
As Rapley describes: “Marble Bird Goddess is a guardian of the trees, a silent sentinel standing with strength, courage and grace. I like to think that she functions a little like a mirror, that people will see these qualities reflected in themselves.”
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Artist Bio
Oriah Rapley is a full-time artist currently working in wood, hard stone, bronze and steel. Rapley exhibits nationally and her artwork is held in private collections both nationally and internationally including the James Wallace collection. Her work has been selected for the ‘Homework’ exhibitions at Puke Ariki, New Plymouth; New Zealand Sculpture Onshore, Devonport, Auckland; the Richard T Nelson Art Awards, Wellington; and Sculpture on the Peninsula, Canterbury. She has attended many symposiums around New Zealand including Te Kupenga International Stone Sculpture Symposium.
Her work concentrates on constant refinement towards the purity of form, and acknowledges freedom of choice. Using symbols such as the feather, waka and bird to provide subtle layers interwoven around movement / growth, exploration / expansion, freedom / expression, empowerment / transformation.
In 2024, Rapley was selected to participate in the Sculpture in the Gardens exhibition at the Auckland Botanic Gardens. Her work, 'Spirits Flight,' was inspired by the pōhutukawa tree at Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga), a place where spirits are believed to depart from this land. Additionally, Rapley has been involved in the Bridge Pa Sculpture Trail in Heretaunga, showcasing her commitment to public art installations.
