About contemporary NZ artist Component
Concept and place are essential to Component's work. A cultural reference flipped on its head will fit seamlessly into its location. Star Wars bounty hunter Boba Fett stands guard on Ponsonby Road. A girl tests the water next to a barrel of oil on a harbour sea wall. They are striking images, painted with contrast, clarity and thought.
Born and raised in Grey Lynn, component taught himself the art of stencilling. The street was his canvas, his means for critiquing society. Cut Collective collaborations and a shared studio on K Road led to his role as curator of the street art website, streetarse.co.nz. Despite his community focus, his work has been seen throughout New Zealand. Shows such as Picture Perfect in a World of Chaos at Silo Park in 2012 stand out alongside exhibitions at The Dowse, Auckland City Gallery, Dunedin Public Art Gallery and Parnell's Webb Gallery.
While Grey Lynn has gentrified, Component's sense of place remains integral to his work. From spray-painting city walls to working with canvas for the country's most prestigious galleries, Component is travelling a journey that brings colour and consideration to the streets and homes of Aotearoa, from Auckland through Wellington and Christchurch. Component was shaped by his environment. Now he helps shape it.
My work is ART with meaning, social consciousness & accessibility. Art on the street or on a living room wall. Location & context are a big part of my art practice, producing large scale community projects alongside private commissioned outdoor artwork. Soul-A-Metric is a concept and collaboration between Component and iThink. Their aligned belief of creating Art not Ads, meaningful dialogue and engaging visual artwork enables them to see the world in a different and fresh way and apply that viewpoint to the many varied projects they create.
Whether you call Component a graffiti artist, a screen printing artist or a famous mural painter, you’d be right. He is versatile and open to exploring new ways of collaborating and expressing ideas. There is a selection of artwork for sale on the website, but please feel free to get in touch to commission something unique.