Jasmine Keir uses copper as her canvas in her workshops in Mangōnui and Southland.
Jasmine Keir uses copper as her canvas in her workshops in Mangōnui and Southland.
Te Tai Tōkerau is abundant with a plethora of talented artists from a range of disciplines, but what makes them tick, and who are they? Reporter Brodie Stone finds out, today talking with Jasmine Keir.
Mangōnui’s Jasmine Keir has traversed Aotearoa and gathers inspiration from its vast landscapes, from the coastline of the north to the mountains in the south.
With copper as her canvas, her works are abstract and echo the beauty and flaws of nature as well as the interaction between man and the environment.
Gazing at her works reminds one of cloud watching as patterns, shapes and creatures form.
Keir said since she was a child, she had enjoyed playing in her granddad’s shed and observing the textures, colours and patterns of old items.
Jasmine Keir's art mimics patterns and landscapes in nature, with colours created through a natural patinering method.
Her works are featured nationwide, at galleries in Whangaroa, Coromandel, Wellington, Southland and more, as well as in the homes of collectors.
If you’re a gallery regular in Northland, you may recognise her trademark “zen squares”, which are featured in the Mangōnui Courthouse Gallery, Helena Bay Gallery and the Bay of Islands Trading Post Gallery.
But there’s more to this artist than what sits on gallery walls or in the homes of collectors. She describes her work as “70 per cent science and 30 per cent alchemy” — and it’s easy to see why.
Copper is her canvas, and Keir uses the method of patinering — using food acid to create her pieces. This method allows her to oxidise the copper and achieve a range of colours that aren’t possible through chemical patina.
From heating the metal, to what food acid she uses to how long she leaves food acid on the piece, every work looks different.
Jasmine Keir's copper art is often a centrepiece in people's homes.
She works in both Northland and Southland, and said being in those two areas keeps her “very inspired”.
“It also creates a different finish. When I’m in Southland it’s cold and dry, and when I’m working in Northland, the copper reacts in a different way.”
“Copper is a very fickle metal,” she explained, “it’s alive. So wherever I’m working, the reactions of the copper are different.”
She said from heating it, bending it, oxidising and folding it, you can do “so much” with copper, and it “never fails to surprise [her].”
She said during several installations she’s been caught unawares by the unpredictable copper. Often, her work involves playing around with it to try to make it do what she wants it to.
Her studios are not controlled environments, but she said she loved that part of it.
“It keeps me on my toes,” she said with a laugh.
Her work is featured as splashbacks, entire walls, centrepieces and bar fronts in homes throughout the country, and she said this work was one of collaboration with the homeowners.
She works with the client closely to create the look they want to achieve, and includes visiting their home to get an idea of how they live, and feel their environment.
Jasmine Keir creates pieces according to the client's wishes. She always visits their home to get a feel for how they live, and what their environment is.
Keir described it as “humbling” that people want her work as a feature in their home.
“To go into a pretty amazing home and being invited to embellish is very rewarding,” she said.
From the large pieces to the small, she said she enjoyed them all. After 26 years of commissions, she still gets nervous when delivering one of her pieces.
“I look at it and I’m like wow ... yes ... that’s what I did, which is a real buzz.”
Brodie Stone is the education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie recently graduated from Massey University and has a special interest in the environment and investigative reporting.
