Street artist's slice of chalk heaven for Hawke's Bay

A piece of chalk art is proving to be a slice of heaven in Hastings, and it's just the start in corporate art for the talented artist that created it.

A supersized hand holding a scalpel slicing the concrete has appeared on the ground at the Tribune complex in Hastings.

Drawn by Tamaki Shimoaka, a Year 13 student at Taikura Rudolf Steiner School, it's a school project taken to a new level, and he's not bothered that it will be gone soon.

"It's an ephemeral artwork that just washes away in the rain," he notes wistfully.

He has been asked by Hastings and Napier councils to produce one in both cities as a part of the Hawke's Bay Arts Festival and chose Tribune, Hastings' new mixed-use precinct, as the first location.

Tamaki Shimaoka's 3D chalk drawing at the Tribune complex in Hastings. Photo / Paul Taylor

Shimoaka's journey into 3D art is fascinating because he wanted to find a NZ-based mentor to teach him, but the search proved fruitless.

Instead, he buried himself in books at the Hastings Library to learn his new creative craft.

"It's just something really cool to be able to draw on the ground and make it look real," he says.

Painting on the pavement using chalk is believed to have been started by travellers in Italy in the 16th century.

Public squares in small towns and villages became street canvases for artists attending Catholic religious festivals.

They painted scenes that depicted the interior of local churches for all to view.

Shimoaka says an American took the idea and modernised it into illusion art. The art form is described as reverse perspective.

Using grids on a computer editing programme he digitally manipulates the image he wants to draw and then transposes it onto the pavement.

When he finished his first installation at school he realised how much he liked illusion art.

"I wanted people to think what I was doing was as cool as I thought it was."

He has always liked drawing realistically and the challenge it provides, and the illusion of reality has a mathematical component that drew him to it, despite the challenge.

Shimoaka believes there is a different sense of pride when getting paid for making art as opposed to working weekly hours as an employee.

The challenge to take the viewer to another world making them believe the illustration is real drives Tamaki's enthusiasm.

"I love it but I'm not sure if it is something that I will make into a full-time career. "

He is dreaming of drawing a large-scale piece - potentially random lines over the sides of many buildings but when viewed from one spot it all comes together to form a logo or illustration.

He has plans to go to university but at the moment doesn't know what subjects he will specialise in.