Artist after powerful impact

George Nuku (centre) with fellow carvers Omeka Takiari (left) and Dan Willdridge. Picture / Paul Estcourt

It was an alien influence that inspired the latest work of carver George Nuku.

Today the Ngati Kahunungu artist leaves for England with the first stage of his latest work - Out of Space Marae - which will travel there for next month's Pasifika Styles exhibition at Cambridge University.

But it was 12 years ago that the master carver was introduced to Perspex, when asked to design alien weapons for a film based on the Stephen King novel The Tommyknockers.

And the transparent material has continued to figure in his traditional Maori designs, taking precedence over the more familiar wood, pounamu and shell.

Nuku said the material offered a very powerful visual impact when combined with light.

"I like the way it is affected by light. It looks different depending on the angle you're viewing from."

The completed structure will weigh 3 tonnes and stand 4m wide and high and 8m deep.

It has taken three months to finish the first stage of the work with a further three months set aside for Nuku and fellow carvers Omeka Takiari and Dan Willdridge to complete the work.

The project has been funded by a $27,000 grant from Te Waka Toi, with Nuku funding the balance of the project selling art and fundraising.

He said he was excited by the prospect of displaying the piece in England, which follows a display of his work in New York at the United Nations indigenous peoples forum in 2004.

"I have had a few displays internationally, but this is a big one."