Simon Lewis Wards

Simon Lewis Wards is an Auckland based artist who makes work with a Pop Kiwiana aesthetic. His work is joyful and humorous, finding its inspiration in nostalgia unique to New Zealand. He works predominately with glass and ceramic using techniques of casting and slip-casting. Ward's experience in glass began in his younger years when he was an assistant at a glass-blowing studio in Australia. It was in this role he developed a skill set in both blown glass techniques and the "lost wax" method. Wards then set up his own studio in Auckland, New Zealand, which he works from today. From his studio he produces a range of exhibition work and collaborates with other artists. Ward's recent work offers humorous narratives that are playful and uplifting. Most well-known are his porcelain bags filled with brightly coloured glass jet planes, reminiscent of the lolly mixtures you found in the local dairy as a child. Simon Lewis-Wards exhibits his work in select galleries in New Zealand. He enjoys making work that sparks a smile in the viewer and conjures childhood memories.