Anna Korver
Facet 1 (blue), 2023
Painted steel, Corten steel base
730 x 450 x 500mm on corten steel plinth
(1200mm tall, 510 x 510mm base plate)
Facet 2 (aubergine), 2023
Painted steel, Corten steel base
730 x 450 x 320mm on corten steel plinth
(1200mm tall, 510 x 510mm base plate)
Facet 3 (purple), 2023
Painted steel, Corten steel base
730 x 450 x 300mm on corten steel plinth
(1200mm tall, 510 x 510mm base plate)
For a number of years, Anna Korver has used sculpture to explore and question traditional and contemporary roles of women in society. Her works are feminine in their identity and perspective, inviting intimacy and playfulness. But concurrently her use of bold lines and geometric surfaces invite a masculine energy to the sculptures, a projection of strength and power.
As a New Zealander living in Benin, Africa, Korver has travelled widely, participating in sculpture symposiums all over the world. Her practice has developed into exploring several specific series’, where the human experience is described from different perspectives - both literal and metaphorical. Some look at underlying questions about home as a transient concept, using symbols like the figure, the cube, vessels and sections of the landscape as reference points. These works explore the idea of home as an abstract term; sometimes inspiring a feeling of restriction or entrapment requiring armament and defence, and other times a shelter or sanctuary offering safety or protection. Korver’s sculptures are continuously curious about the connection of architecture to the human experience, of the links between people and place, and how the story and the experience of each go hand-in-hand. They are closely related, imprinting on each other subconsciously and consciously, however these sculptures become more about the deconstruction and reconstruction of the self via the symbolism of architecture.
Korver’s latest series, Facets, sees petite dress figures poised on corten steel plinths. The sleek figures carry a sense of carefree joy, with the impression of charismatic movement implied through bold architectural planes. The meticulous high gloss automotive paint finish completes the dresses with a celebratory sheen and sparkle, while the more subtle corten steel plinths offer an earthy base for them to stand within the native bush setting.
As Korver explains: “I use the form of the dress to speak about the celebration of women and their unique strengths but the faceted form also shows an armour of protection. So it is the balance of this lightness and delicacy within and the tougher, outer persona we choose to show to the world.”
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Artist Bio
Anna Korver has dual nationalities - New Zealand and Benin. She currently divides her time at home and overseas. She has been a full time professional sculptor since completed a BFA in sculpture from the University of Canterbury in 2003. Korver works nationally and internationally on exhibition work and private and public commissions. She has been selected in the Wallace Awards twice and invited to exhibit work in many large scale outdoor sculpture exhibitions including Brick Bay Sculpture Trail and Tai Tapu Sculpture Garden. Korver has attended more than 80 national and international sculpture symposiums, and has installed sculpture all over the world, including Egypt, Columbia, Qatar, Serbia and Italy.
Korver’s works combine a balance of contemporary and traditional sculpting processes and are feminine in their identity and perspective, inviting intimacy and personal connection. The forms are minimalist and strive to reflect the inner self or feeling onto the outer surface. Her work previously projected concepts from an internal place, but currently reflect more about the current situation or experience both personally and globally. The fundamental concepts generally revolve around the defence and protection of women but often from a subtle, gentle place. They question and challenge traditional feminine roles, offering a different kind of strength where the masculine and feminine sides are in balance and delicate, fragility is recognised instead of seen as a weakness, reflecting on feminism’s advocacy for equality for both genders.
During the global pandemic, Korver was confined firstly in her home country of New Zealand but later moved to her new home of Benin. The stark contrasts, different challenges of life, culture, language and world view could not have been in greater contrast. Her ability to travel during this time and witness the experience of the pandemic from different cultures has been a powerful inspiration to shift the emphasis of her work from one of personal reflection to encompassing a wider global perspective.
