Flight of fancy gives wings to hospice funds

The remembrance tiles will be sold to raise money for the hospice. Photo / Kenny Rodger

Ceramicist Bob Steiner knows first-hand how art can help you remember loved ones. When his parents passed away, he was inspired to create what have since become his signature ceramic fantails, because they reminded him of his childhood in north Auckland surrounded by the cheeky birds.

Steiner is particularly pleased his latest work will be installed at Mercy Hospice in Freemans Bay as part of an ongoing effort to raise funds.

"It's a huge honour," says Steiner, who has been working for 30 years from his home studio in Kingsland. "My art is my life, so to be able to create something that will allow other people to remember a loved one's life is something I take seriously."

Steiner has created the first of what is hoped will be several panels displayed as remembrance tiles on the walls of the hospice courtyard. The centrepiece features soaring tuis framed by kowhai, pohutakawa and flax, rendered in a soothing combination of greens and whites. Once all the tiles are sold, Steiner will create more panels, until the walls are filled with a grand ceramic garden measuring 16m by 1.2m.

The sculpture will be unveiled at a special launch next Thursday, where members of the public will be invited to buy the tiles, which will be named and installed as they are sold.

The courtyard provides the perfect location, often filled with patients and families enjoying the sun, or hosting barbecues and weddings for the patients. It's also hoped families will return to the hospice for a tangible reminder of their loved ones.

The hospice, partially funded by the Auckland District Health Board, is required to raise more than $2 million a year to maintain its services. Over the years they have planted flower gardens and trees but this time wanted to install something beautiful that had longevity. When Mercy called and asked the Steiners if they would donate some work, Bob's wife Alison, who co-manages the business, wondered if he could be part of an ongoing project.

"We'd been working on a similar concept for quite some time and formulating ideas," says Steiner."We had a variety of tiles we thought would fit with a range of panels and designs. When this opportunity came up, it was an ideal chance to show it on a large scale."

The money raised from the launch will go towards the day-to-day running of the hospice.

The tiles range in price from the small flower squares at $250 (the cost of three nurse visits at home), to the large green flax side panels at $4000 (the cost of two eight-day stays in the inpatient unit, nine nurse visits and two family support team sessions). It costs $600 a day for each patient staying at the hospice.

The project is an exciting venture for Steiner, who set up shop in the ceramics heyday of the 1970s, quickly forging a business built on his determination to reach the tourist market without resorting to kitsch. He now sells his flora and fauna-inspired work to retailers around the country and he was recognised as a finalist in the BestDesignAwards08. He has also been commissioned to produce a commemorative gift for the University of Auckland's 125th anniversary.

"I lived in Hokianga for 10 years and had a block of land on with bush on it," says Steiner,"so I got quite intimate with trees.

"A lot of my work is reminiscing about those old trees."

Fundraiser

What: Past, Present and Future art project

When and where: Launches on March 26 at 61 College Hill, Ponsonby