Biography
Oriah Rapley is a full-time artist currently working in wood, hard stone, bronze and steel. Rapley exhibits nationally and her artwork is held in private collections both nationally and internationally including the James Wallace collection. Her work has been selected for the ‘Homework’ exhibitions at Puke Ariki, New Plymouth; New Zealand Sculpture Onshore, Devonport, Auckland; the Richard T Nelson Art Awards, Wellington; and Sculpture on the Peninsula, Canterbury. She has attended many symposiums around New Zealand including Te Kupenga International Stone Sculpture Symposium.
Her work concentrates on constant refinement towards the purity of form, and acknowledges freedom of choice. Using symbols such as the feather, waka and bird to provide subtle layers interwoven around movement / growth, exploration / expansion, freedom / expression, empowerment / transformation.