Artists with expertise in three very different fields will decide who takes the honours at the 2006 Montana World of WearableArt™ (WOW®) Awards in Wellington later this year.
Fashion Designer Doris de Pont is the talent behind the label DNA, which has had success overseas since its launch in 1994. However her design career goes back more than 20 years.
Born in New Zealand, but of Dutch descent, Doris de Pont worked extensively in the Netherlands before returning to New Zealand to open a retail store in Auckland in 1985. With a degree in cultural anthropology, Doris de Pont is interested in social and fashion anthropology, which is interpreted in her collections. Her highly original designs are known throughout New Zealand, Australia, and more recently in London, Denmark and Japan.
Sculptor Virginia King’s works have recently hit the world media headlines as a feature of the Tourism New Zealand entry ‘100% Pure New Zealand Garden’ in the 2006 Chelsea Garden Show, which earned a silver gilt medal.
Virginia King began focussing on sculpture in the mid 1980’s, and has worked in Hinuera stone, bronze, aluminium, stainless steel, earth and wood. Underlying her practice is a concern for the environment, and an interest in history. In 1995 she created a series of floating works, and has since undertaken public commissions including the Rewarewa Creek footbridge in Waitakere City, ‘Nikau vessel’, a 5.5m high aluminium/stainless steel sculpture in Hastings CBD, and ‘Reed Vessel’ a 6.5m x 18m sculpture in Melbourne’s Docklands.
WOW’s Guest Judge for 2006 is Gaylene Preston NZOM. Gaylene is celebrated as one of New Zealand’s leading film makers, having made some of the most enduring popular classics of Kiwi cinema. Her documentary War Stories our Mothers Never Told Us won Hoyts New Zealand Cinema best film 1995, and was voted most popular film and best documentary at the Sydney Film Festival 1996. Her feature films include Ruby and Rata and the mini series Bread and Roses. Gaylene was awarded the Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to film making and is an New Zealand Art foundation laureate.
The Judges will meet in Nelson early next month (July 8/9) to consider more than 290 entries for the 2006 Montana WOW® Awards. This interim judging decides which garments will make it to the catwalk for the iconic shows at Wellington’s Events Centre in September/October.
With more than $100,000 in prize money, the Montana WOW® Awards are considered a leading arts event in this country, attracting 90 international entries this year.
For more information contact: Gabrielle Hervey CEO WOW® Ltd DDI 0064 3 547 0854
