Donn Salt

Donn Salt has practiced stone carving professionally longer than anyone in New Zealand today.
He is the author of the two 'Stone, Bone and Jade' books that are important documents of the contemporary carving scene in Aotearoa. These publications cover a group of New Zealand carvers active and contributing, during a period of advancement of the carved arts.
Gallery Pacific's relationship with Donn Salt goes back over 50 years - we know him well!
In the late 1960's, he was part of a new wave of stone carvers intent on forging an artistic identity based on originality in design, as opposed to replication of symbols and motifs from the Maori world.
He has achieved global recognition, becoming, in 2013, the first Western jade carver invited to exhibit alongside Chinese masters at the Suzhou Jade Exhibition.
Donn Salt creates diverse sculptural artwork in very limited quantity at his Northland workshop. Bronze, cast glass, and precious metals feature alongside the jade and stone carving he is renowned for.

Sculpture process

Donn Salt works primarily with stone, particularly Nephrite Jade (including Pounamu), but also in Andesite, and Greywacke. The origin of his materials is international, as he has sought the challenge of carving new and unfamiliar stone sourced from remote parts of the world.
Sculpting in smaller, intimate scale requires the cutting of larger stones into manageable pieces that can be held and worked by hand. He uses myriad fine burrs and cutting wheels to carve with, before applying his final surface finish slowly by hand.
Donn Salt's bronze sculpture is derived from his original carvings in stone. During his career he has taken molds from some of his finest carved work, allowing him to reproduce these unique designs in bronze.

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