Photo: Stephen A'Court
A Nelson designer has won the top prize at the 2023 World of Wearable Art (WOW) Awards with a "beautiful, joyful, playful" garment constructed from foam rubber, acrylic paint and wire.
Earthling, designed by Gill Saunders, was inspired by the popularity of adult colouring books. Judges, who included WOW founder Dame Suzie Moncrieff and sculptor Brett Graham, said the design "demonstrated an unmatched sense of the unity of wearable art and impeccable craftpersonship".
"It is absolutely beautiful, joyful, playful and positive, and wholly global yet looks and feels like Aotearoa," they said.
Sarah Nathan, WOW head of competition, said the stories behind this year's entries reflected a range of important social issues. She said there was something "very grounding" in a hand-crafted piece taking the Supreme Award given the evolution of new technologies, materials and techniques available to designers.
Saunders, originally from the UK, has entered the awards nearly every year since 2000. This is her second time winning the Supreme Award, which comes with $30,000 in prize money and her seventh award win. Earthling also took the Open category award.
This year's awards feature 110 finalist entries by 120 designers from 23 countries around the globe.
Blooming Proof!, created by Joanne Van Wyk and Lena Van Der Wat of South Africa and Erna Van Der Wat of Auckland. Photo: Stephen A'Court
Other award winners include a pair of South African octogenarians, who won the Mars and Beyond category with a dazzling crocheted alien. Joanne Van Wyk, 81, and Lena Van Der Wat, 87, worked with their daughter/daughter-in-law Erna Van Der Wat from Auckland on Blooming Proof!.
Child-Hood, winner of the Aotearoa section, was inspired by growing up on the West Coast. Photo: Stephen A'Court
Growing up on the West Coast inspired welder Craig McMillan to create a huge wooden weta that won the Aotearoa section.
Dig this! The Groundbreaking Bra won the Bizarre Bra section. Photo: Stephen A'Court
Tuakau couple Kristy and David Kirkpatrick won the Bizarre Bra section, with a digger bra they titled Groundbreaking.
SAMURAI Girl won three awards for first-time entrant Chiaki Shimizu. Photo: Stephen A'Court
First-time entrant Chiaki Shimizu, from Japan, took out the Avant-garde section and the Wētā Workshop Emerging Designer award with SAMURAI Girl, which was also runner-up for the Supreme Award.
Digital Ascension of Kitsune was a golden entry for US finalists Dawn Mostow and Snow Winters. Photo: Stephen A'Court
US finalists Dawn Mostow and Snow Winters won the Gold section and the International Award (Americas) with Digital Ascension of Kitsune, an inflated latex masterpiece.
The WOW show runs until 8 October at Wellington's TSB Arena. A full list of the 2023 award-winners is here.
