About us
Frost and Fire Gallery is the home and workspace of Darryl Frost - Nelson Potter. Darryl's work is a tactile and intuitive response to his surroundings, a homage to the interplay of the elements. When Darryl’s pieces are unveiled from his kiln the true beauty is revealed, altered and twisted; the raw materials shaped by man and fire.
The Gallery
Established in 2018 Frost and Fire is Darryl Frost’s second gallery, some may remember his first gallery at Kina Beach which he ran for 15 years. In 2017 he purchased this new property where he converted an old apple packing shed into a fantastic gallery space with an extra large workshop out the back and has recently finished his 4th Anagama kiln. From here on the hill, he creates with clay, fires his kiln, makes large scale multi media sculptures, runs regular classes, takes care of his family and pretty much makes a good go of it all! It is definitely well worth the short drive from Nelson for a visit.
Darryl Frost’s story
Darryl has been a full time potter/sculptor since the late 1980’s. He grew up in Leigh and travelled to Nelson to study at NMIT in 1989 majoring in ceramics. He has been working as a full-time sculptor/potter ever since. His distinctive style of Anagama wood firing has gained him national and international recognition as well as several awards including a Diploma of Honour from Korea. He has also pursued his passion for large scale multi-media sculpture works, many of which can be found throughout New Zealand in public and private collections including the Wallace Arts Trust.
“For over three decades the process of wood firing ceramics has been the creative touchstone that changed the course of my life. This blending of both historical references and contemporary intellectual values has galvanised the work and my aesthetic vision.
It is an arcane process; a collaborative vision that stirs up elusive and poetic forms through tactile, intuitive inflections and the kilns subtle, broad colour palette.
Artistically, I focus on framing the unpredictable intent on capturing gesture in form; melding abstract expressionist values with Ashen Glazed surfaces to communicate the mysterious sensibilities of nature on fire.”
Nicholas Duval-smith’s story - Resident Artist
Nicholas was once a Dunedin artist now based in Motueka. He works at Frost and Fire sculpting beautiful Oamaru stone for his amazing bronze castings which can be found throughout New Zealand. Check out his current work here.
“Born in Dunedin in 1969, I was taught to see and enjoy beauty by my parents. They encouraged me by providing me with paints, and I was also shown how to draw and paint by my grandmother, Ruth Duval-Smith. She was an accomplished watercolour painter (the Hocken Library in Dunedin, New Zealand has a work of hers in the archive).
The theme I have constantly returned to is my relationships with the people I love, my relationship with my physical world, and with my internal world; with my memories, my thoughts, my feelings and my dreams. My aim is self exploration and realisation; the opening and blossoming and fulfilling of my fundamental self.”
