Sunflower Glass Studio’s art advocates for our oceans
We live in a country of natural beauty and we pride ourselves on our clean green environment image. However, we are destroying the ocean floor around us. New Zealand is now the only country in the South Pacific to allow deep sea trawling – this is one of the most common methods in New Zealand for commercial fishing. (Attempts are being made to reduce the extent of trawling, but not fast enough in our opinion.)
Deep sea trawling by New Zealand vessels affects up to 100,000 square kilometres every year and it is indiscriminate in the harm it causes. It damages sea mounts (mountains, ridges and rises under the sea) that are home to deep sea coral and sponge gardens and the ecosystem they live in, with some species being unique to individual seamounts. Coral and sea sponges can live up to 5000 years; up to 200 tons of coral and sea sponges are destroyed each year.
One of the targeted species of deep sea trawling companies is orange roughy. The majority of the orange roughy catch, a species which in its natural habitat lives up to 220 years, is exported as frozen fillets to the USA.
As glass artists passionate about the environment, we aim to raise awareness about the plight of our seabeds through our art. This year, as part of the Mercury Bay Art Escape, we are creating a special piece to highlight these issues. We use lampworking – a technique involving a torch that heats glass to over 1,000°F – to craft our work.
One element of our display will be our signature Funky Fish, which are individually handmade from high-quality Murano (Italian) glass. Each fish is unique, designed to float, and cherished by customers of all ages. One delightful story involves a customer who returned from a holiday to find their Funky Fish lying at the bottom of their fishbowl after the water had evaporated. Simply refilling the bowl brought them back to life – if only real marine ecosystems could recover so easily from commercial bycatch and destruction.
Our feature piece will incorporate elements like our Funky Fish and sand beads, all crafted from glass, to convey the urgency of preserving marine environments for future generations.
You can view this piece at Hot Waves Café during the opening night on Friday, 28th February 2025, where it will remain on display for one month. Tickets for the opening are available on the Mercury Bay Art Escape website.
Additionally, we invite you to visit our studio in Whitianga during the first two weekends of March (Saturday and Sunday, 9 am – 4 pm) at 15 Haddon Crescent. Come for live glass torch demonstrations and to explore our other signature creations. You can also find us at the Whitianga Market on Saturdays and the Coroglen Hall Market on Sundays.
Find out more about Sandra and Mark’s beautiful work here.
Words by Sandra and Mark Hosking
