Graeme Priddle has over 30 years experience in the woodworking field, best known for his sculptural turnings/carvings reflecting his life and environments in Northland, New Zealand. He has won numerous awards for his work, which has been exhibited widely in New Zealand, UK, Japan, Taiwan, France, Germany, U.S.A and Canada.
He is very active in the wood turning world and commits his time and talent to many creative endeavours. He has served on the committee of the New Zealand National Association of Woodturners for five years as well as being instrumental in establishing the New Zealand ‘CollaboratioNZ’ Conferences in 1998.
And for the last 20 years has demonstrated and taught for numerous woodworking and woodturning groups and at many woodworking events throughout the world.
In 2015 Graeme took up permanent residence in Asheville NC to work with his partner and fellow wood sculptor Melissa Engler. Together they run Half Feral Studio at Grovewood Village and are currently building their own school on land they purchased in Mars Hill, about 30 minutes North of Asheville.
“I have always felt a natural affinity with wood and after twelve years working as radio technician I felt the need to do something more creative with my life. Originally I was drawn towards ‘free-form’ furniture as our bush block is littered with deadfall timber, the leftovers from the Kauri logging days of the early 1900′s. In 1990, the New Zealand economy became very depressed there was a limited market for original hand-crafted furniture. Fortunately, at that time I met a group of very creative woodturners and realized that there are endless creative possibilities to lathe work.
I am mainly self taught with a lot of advice and inspiration from many other woodturners. In my first four years or so of turning the emphasis was on using very decorative timber and applying simple form so as not to overshadow the natural beauty of the timber. While this is still a dominant factor in some of my work I now spend more time on creating pieces where my design is the dominant factor and using timber and other materials sympathetic with my designs, these pieces tell stories about who I am, where I am and the things in life that I am most passionate about.
Major influences in my designs come from my natural surroundings, especially the sea and coastal environments, dreams and life experiences.”
Selected History
Feb 91 - Group exhibition - Artstop Gallery - Northland.
Dec 91 - Design Arts & Crafts - "Original Works Show" - Wellington.
Jan 92 - Design Arts & Crafts - "Original Works Show" - Auckland.
Jun 92 - Group Exhibition - Merilyn Savill Gallery - Wellington.
Aug92 - Kawerau National Woodskills Festival
- 2nd prize & commended in woodturning section
Feb 93 - "The Art Of Turned Wood" - Juried Exhibition - Aotea Centre - Auckland.
Oct 93 - Group exhibition - Cologne - Germany.
Feb 94 - "Turned Art & Furniture Expo" - Juried Exhibition - Auckland - Merit Award.
Nov 94 - Guest exhibitor - Ngatea Arts Festival.
Nov 94 – ‘National Woodturning Exhibition’ - Taranaki Museum.
Mar 95 – Demonstrator - "Working with Wood Show" - Perth - Australia.
Sep 95 - Kawerau National Woodskills Festival
- 1st prize & 2 x commended in open woodturning section
- Commended in fantasy section
Jan 96 - Guest exhibitor - Whakatane Arts Festival.
Jun-Aug 96 - Invited to exhibit in "Growth Through Sharing" Exhibition - Greensboro - North Carolina - USA
Awarded ‘Creative New Zealand’ grant to travel and attend exhibition and American
Assn. of Woodturners annual symposium in Greensboro, NC, and also to attend
"Collaboration & Conservation" conference -Emma Lake, Saskatchewan -
Canada.
Aug 97 - Commissioned for woodsculpting as part of Shona Firman's exhibition " Cross Over ", - Whangarei Art Museum.
Sep 97 - Kawerau National Woodskills Festival
- 1st prize & commended in open woodturning section
- 2nd prize in woodturning - bowls section
commended in fantasy section
Mar - May 98 - " Woodturners Art " - juried exhibition - Hawkes Bay Cultural Trust.
Jun - Jul 98 - " Outside the Circle" - exhibition of invited Northland artists - Whangarei Art Museum
Oct 98 - " TURNZ National Woodturning Exhibition" – Putaruru
- First Time Winner award, Decorative Bowl award, Best Exhibit award
Mar 99 – Invited artist – CollaboratioNZ, Northland, NZ
Mar/Apr 99 - "The Art of Turned Wood" - Juried exhibition
- NZ Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington - Merit award
Feb 00 - Commissioned by the 'Halberg Trust' to create presentation boxes for the New Zealand Sportsperson of the Century awards.
Jun 00 - Demonstrator - 'Artistic Woodturning Worldwide 2000' conference Puy-St-Martin, France.
Jun-Aug 00 - Artist in Residence for the Woodturning Center's 'International Turning Exchange' residency program from 10th June - 8th August 2000, including attendance at the Emma Lake Collaboration conference, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Mar 01 – Invited artist – CollaboratioNZ, Northland, NZ
Mar 01 -'Turned Multiples II’ - International group exhibition -
Craft Alliance, St Louis, Missouri, USA
Saskatchewan Craft Council, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Jun 01 - Jan 02 - 'Art of Wood' - Curated exhibition of works from the Lipton Collection
LA International Airport
Sep 01- Dec 03 - 'Challenge VI’ - ‘Roots: Insights & Inspirations to Contemporary Turned Objects' International touring juried exhibition
exhibition venues - Philip & Muriel Berman Museum of Art, Collegeville,
Pennsylvania
- Indianapolis Museum of Art - Columbus, Indiana
- Museum of Art, Washington State University, Pullman,
Washington
- Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin
- Schneider Museum, Art of Southern Oregon University, Ashland,
Oregon
- Houston Center for Contemporary Art
- The Woodturning Center Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Sep 01 - Kawerau National Woodskills Festival - Merit - Open woodturning
- 2nd Prize - Spindle Turning
Oct 01 – ‘Forum 2001’, Collectors of Wood Art in conjunction with MIA/Yale/WTC Symposium, Minneapolis, USA.
May 02 - Demonstrator - Israeli Woodturners Association.
Jun 02 - Lead demonstrator - American Assn of Woodturners annual symposium in Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Aug 02 – Invited artist - ‘Emma Lake’ Collaboration Conference Saskatchewan, Canada
Aug 02 – Demonstrator - Honolulu and Big Island Woodturners, Hawaii.
Mar 03 – Invited artist – CollaboratioNZ, Northland, NZ
May 03 – Demonstrator - ‘2003 Utah Woodturning Symposium’, Provo, Utah, USA.
Sep 03 – Kawerau National Woodskills Festival – 1st Prize - Open Woodturning
1st Prize – Multi-centre Woodturning
Oct 03 – Invited artist – Mittagong Collaboration Conference, NSW Australia.
Oct 03 – Exhibitor - SOFA Chicago - del Mano Gallery.
Nov 03 – ‘Art of Turned Wood’ – National juried exhibition – Aotea Center, Auckland
1st = Prize
Mar 04 – Demonstrator – Turnfest, Mt Tamborine, Qld, Australia
Jun 04 – Exhibitor - SOFA, New York - del Mano Gallery.
Jul 04 – Faculty – Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg TN, USA
Sept-Nov 04 – ‘Ipu Karea’ – Solo exhibition – Waikato Museum of Art and History
Mar 05 – Invited artist – CollaboratioNZ – Northland, NZ.
Sept 05 – Demonstrator – Woodturning Center’s International Turning Exchange 10 year Retrospective Conference, University of Arts, Philadelphia PA, USA.
Sept 05 – Exhibitor – ‘Connections’ - Woodturning Center’s International Turning Exchange 10 year Retrospective Exhibition, Philip & Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA, USA.
Jun/ 06 – Faculty – Appalachian Center for Craft, Smithville, TN, USA.
Jun/Jul 06 – Faculty – Arrowmont School of arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN, USA.
Jul 06 – Workshop instructor – Black Forest Wood Co – Galgary, CA.
Jul 06 – Invited artist - ‘Emma Lake’ Collaboration Conference, Ness Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada
Sept 06 – Exhibitor – ‘Woodturned Sculptures Too’ – Jack & Shirley Lubeznik Center for the Arts. Michigan City, Indiana, USA.
Apr 07 – Invited artist – ‘CollaboratioNZ’ – Northland, NZ.
Jun 07 – Exhibitor - SOFA, New York - del Mano Gallery.
Jun/Jul 07 – Faculty – ‘Peter’s Valley Craft School’ –Leyton NJ, USA
Jul 07 – Demonstrator – Israel Association of Woodturners.
Sept 07 – Demonstrator – Magma Fine Woodworking, Austria.
Sept 07 to Feb 09 – Invited Exhibitor – ‘Far from the Tree’ – Juried touring exhibition.
exhibition venues - Messler Gallery – Rockport, Maine
AAW Gallery – St Paul, Minnesota
Ohio Craft Museum – Columbus, Ohio
Southern Ohio Museum – Portsmouth, Ohio
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft – Houston, Texas.
May 08 – Faculty – John C Campbell School of Craft – NC, USA.
May 08 – Faculty – ‘Peter’s Valley Craft School’ – Leyton, NJ, USA
Jun 08 – Invited artist – Echo Lake Collaboration, Pennsylvania, USA
Jun 08 – Faculty - Appalachian Center for Craft, Smithville, TN, USA.
Jun 08 – Faculty – Arrowmont School of arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN, USA.
Aug 08 – Invited artist – Emma Lake International Collaboration Conference, SK, Canada
Sept 08 – Demonstrator – Magma Tools, Austria.
Sep 09 – Demonstrator – Oahu & Big Island Woodturners, HA, USA.
Sep 09 – Demonstrator – Magma Fine Woodworking, Austria.
Sep 09 – Invited artist – Collaboration Conference, NSW Australia.
May 10 – Artist in Residence – 5 week collaborative residency with Michael Cullen – Breville, France
Jun 10 – Faculty - Arrowmont School of arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN, USA.
Jul 10 – Invited artist - ‘Emma Lake’ Collaboration Conference, Ness Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada
Sept 2010 – Demonstrator – Vancouver Woodturning Symposium, Vancouver, Canada
Oct 2010 – Demonstrator – French Woodturning Seminar, France
Oct 2010 – Demonstrator – Luxembourgh Woodturners, Luxembourgh.
June 2011 - Demonstrator – AAW Symposium, St Paul MN, USA
Aug 2011 – Breville Wood Festival, Cognac, France, Woodturning Competition – 1st prize
Nov 2011 – National Assn of Woodturners of NZ, Sponsored National Demonstration Tour
Aug 2012 – Demonstrator – AFTAB Symposium, France.
Sept 2012 – Demonstrator – Willie van Hout Trade Show – Bruges, Belgium
Sept 2012 – Demonstrator – Magma Open Doors, Austria
Mar 2013 – Invited artist – ‘CollaboratioNZ’ – Northland, NZ.
May 2013 – Demonstrator/instructor – Wilmington Area Woodturners, Wilmington NC
Jun 2013 – Faculty – Ecole Escoulen, Aiguines, France.
Jun 2013 – Invited artist – French Collaboration Conference, Aiguines, France
Sept 2013 – Demonstrator – European Wood Show, Cressing, UK
Sept 2013 – Demonstrator – Magma Open Doors, Switzerland
Oct 2013 – Invited artist – Hawaian Collaboration Conference, Kona, Big Island
Apr/May 2014 – Exhibitor - ‘Considering the Kylix’ - Peter’s Valley School of Craft
Aug 2014 – President du Jurie – Breville Wood Festival, Cognac, France
July 2014 – Faculty – Peters Valley Craft School,
Sept 2014 – Demonstrator – Spanish Woodturning Symposium, Xermade, Spain
Sept 2014 – Demonstrator – Magma Open Doors, Austria
Feb 2015 – Co-faculty with Melissa Engler –‘Summer Do’ The Quarry Arts Centre, Whangarei NZ.
Mar 2015 – Invited artist – ‘CollaboratioNZ’ – Northland, NZ.
May 2015 – Co-instructor with Melissa Engler – Canyon Studios, Dallas TX
Jun 2015 – Co-demonstrator/instructor with Melissa Engler – Tulsa Woodturners, Tulsa OK
Jul 2015 – Faculty – Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN
Nov 2015 – Exhibitor – SOFA Chicago – Thomas Riley Gallery, Chicago IL
Jun 2016 – Invited artist – ‘Echo Lake’ Collaborative Conference, Bucks Co Community College, PA
Jul 2016 – Solo and collaborative exhibition with Melissa Engler - ‘Birds of a Feather’ – Surface Gallery, Asheville, NC.
Jul 2016 – Demonstrator – ‘Turn On Chicago’ symposium – Chicago IL
Jul 2016 – Co-workshop instructor with Melissa Engler – Black Forest Wood Co – Calgary, AB, Canada.
Jun 2016 – Co-demonstrator with Melissa Engler – Mid-Columbia Woodturners, Richland, WA
Aug 2016 - Co-demonstrator with Melissa Engler – Cascade & Nth West Woodturners, Portland, OR.
Aug 2016 – Invited artist – ‘Frogwood’ Collaboration Conference – Portland, OR.
Aug/Sept 2016 – Co-faculty with Melissa Engler – Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC.
Jun 2017 - Invited artist - Echo Lake Collaboration, Bucks Co Community College, PA
Jul 2017 - Invited faculty with Melissa Engler - Center For Furniture Craftsmanship, Rockport ME
Aug 2017 - Invited faculty with Melissa Engler - Appalachian Center For Craft, Smithville TN
Apr 2018 - Co-demonstrator with Melissa Engler - Ohio Vally Woodturners Guild, Cinncinatti OH
Jun 2018 - Invited demonstrator - AAW Nationasl Symposium, Portland OR
Jul 2018 - Invited faculty with Melissa Engler - Peter’s Valley School of Craft, Layton NJ
Jul 2018 - Invited demonstrator with Melissa Engler - Saskatoon Woodturning Symposium, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Jul 2018 - Invited artist - Emma Lake Collaboration Conference, Big River, SK, Canada
Mar 2019 - Invited artist - CollaboratioNZ - Whangarei Heads NZ
Jun 2019 - Invited demonstrator with Melissa Engler for Chicago Area Woodturners, Chicago IL
Sept 2019 - Invited demonstrator with Melissa Engler - Olympia Woodturning Symposium, Olympia WA
Sept 2019 - Invited faculty with Melissa Engler - BARN Community School, Bainbridge Island WA
Sept 2020 - Virtual demonstrator with Melissa Engler - Woodturners Worldwide Virtual Symposium
May 2022 - ‘The Present Moment'- Crafting a Better World’ - The Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art
Work in Public Collections
Whangarei Art Museum - NZ
The Woodturning Center - Philadelphia PA ,USA
The Detroit Institute of Arts - The Bohlen Collection - Detroit MI, USA
American Craft Museum - The Lipton Collection - New York, USA
Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts collection, Gatlinburg, TN, USA.
American Assn of Woodturners collection, St Paul, MN, USA
LA County Museum, LA, USA
Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA, USA
Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Washington DC
Graeme's work can also be found in numerous private and corporate collections throughout the world.
Associated Activities
May 97 - Jul 98 - Elected to committee of the National Assn. of Woodturners NZ Inc.
Mar 98 - Established ‘CollaboratioNZ’ as a charitable trust to promote and organize collaborative art and craft events in NZ.
Mar 98 – April 05 - Coordinator & Trustee for ‘CollaboratioNZ’
Jul 98 - May 01 - Elected Secretary of the National Assn. of Woodturners NZ Inc.
May 01 - May 02 – Co-opted to committee of the National Assn of Woodturners NZ Inc.
Apr 09 – Elected to committee and trustee of CollaboratioNZ
Mar 22 – Co-founder of The Kitagawea School, Mars Hill, NC, USA
Publications
2000 – Philadelphia Enquirer – June. The Woodturning Center ITE Residency article
2000 – Philadelphia Enquirer – July. The Woodturning Center ITE Residency Exhibition article
2000- ‘The Fine art of Wood – The Bohlen Collection
2002 – New Zealand Post/Sweden Post ‘Art Meets Craft’ joint special stamp issue. Image featured on 40c stamp and limited edition collector album first day covers.
2002 – Northern Advocate, May – article about stamp issue
2004 – Beneath the Bark – 25 Years of Woodturning pg 106
2005 – ‘Connections’ – 10th anniversary publication of The Woodturning Center ITE Residency program Front cover, pg 175, 175
2006 – Urbis – Design Annual pg 56. ‘Sentinals’ collaborative sculpture with Shona Firman.
2007 – American Craft Aug/Sept pg 15
2007 – American Woodturner Summer issue Vol 22, No. 2 pg 78
2007 – American Woodturner Fall issue Vol 22, No. 3 pg 13, 78
2007 – Style Home Magazine, Oct/Nov issue - Front cover, pg 23, 26.
2008 – ‘New Masters of Woodturning’ - pg 156-161
2008 – American Woodturner Spring issue - Vol 23, No.1 pg 1, 8, 11, 80
2008 – American Woodturner Summer issue - Vol 23, No. 2 pg 18
2009 – ‘Masters-Woodturning’ - pg 64-71
2011 – American Woodturner, Feb issue – Feature article on pg 48-51
2011 – Creative Wood New Zealand, Sept issue - Feature article
2011 – ‘The Cutting Edge’ – Contemporary Wood Art and the Lipton Collection
2012 – ‘Woodturning Today – A Dramatic Evolution’ – celebrating the 25th anniversary of the American Assn of Woodturners – pg 109, 218, 219
2012 – Australian Wood Review, June issue – Feature article
2012 – ‘Art et Passion du Bois’ – 10th anniversary publication of the Breville Wood Festival - pg 110, 137
2016 – American Woodturner, Feb Vol 31 No 1 - pg 45
Graeme’s work has also been published in numerous other articles in various books, magazines and newspapers worldwide.