The Blumhardt Foundation has funded a wide range of activities and people in its work to promote New Zealand craft/object art.
Blumhardt Foundation funding recipients
2025
Dame Doreen’s Gift
Dame Doreen’s Gift
The Blumhardt Foundation announces the 2025 recipients of Dame Doreen’s Gift as makers Neke Moa and Ben Pyne, both of whom receive $10,000 from the Foundation.
Neke Moa is a jeweller based in Ōtaki Beach who works with stone, pounamu and locally sourced materials to make contemporary jewellery and objects. After almost 20 years of professional practice Moa is a leading established maker whose practice is distinctive and singular, with trustees describing her work as “brave and bold”. Current works demonstrate the increasing sophistication of her works in terms of concept and production.Ben Pyne is a designer and ceramicist living and working in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. ‘Pyne’s shift from tableware towards experiments with clay in the design of lamps and suspended lights, modular outdoor furniture, and brickwork structures, elicited trustees declaring his work “demonstrates an innovative approach to ceramics that is fresh and exciting”. His practice builds on the rich tradition of working with locally sourced materials in his New Lynn neighbourhood to make works that truly embody a unique sense of place.
