Amanda is a long-term Muriwai Beach resident, a ceramicist and a painter. She specializes in hand-built sculpture, often in the form of jewellery and wall installations.
Amanda prefers natural, found or recycled materials and makes in traditional ways when possible, such as pit firing with combustibles collected from the beach.
UKU is the home of Amanda's sculptural jewellery. Her aim is to create unique pieces for people, that beautifully reflect them and their connection with the natural world. www.uku-amandakemp.com
Listen to our podcast to find out more about Amanda's life, philosophies, practice and creative journey.
Uku is part of the next generation of makers creating consciously, with care of our surrounding environment. All works are hand made locally, using recycled materials such gold and silver chains and boxed in NZ pine and wool.
Amanda specialises in ceramic jewellery and hand-built sculpture and often pit fires the made works with found organic matter collected from the beach.
Creating work consciously is of interest to Amanda.
"I start each piece with vigorous research but in the making, I clear my head and quietly work from a place of No-Mind with intuition and connection."
The finished work is often reflective of the natural world, each individual and holds its own energy depending on the origin of its materials and the process of making.
"This is why I prefer natural, found or recycled materials and make in traditional ways when possible, such as pit firing with combustibles collected from the beach."
"I feel curious that when a piece is chosen by the wearer, it becomes evident it was made for them."
