A modern Eve carved in ancient stone, The Snake Charmer reconceptualises Henri Rousseau’s 1907 painting of the same name, transforming his exotic chanteuse into a minimalist text in a real Pacific Island. Encircled by Rongoā Māori, the totemic form calls on ancestors and spirits, and brings a healing dimension in times of uncertainty and change. An independent spirit, The Snake Charmer articulates sound through form. Like a siren or guardian, it watches over land, rivers and sea, and asserts a humanity that includes and reflects every-one.

'At the Aotearoa Art Fair, The Snake Charmer raises the bar and acts as a reminder about the magnetic pull and attraction of a work of art as an object and its potency for mystery and imagination. The Snake Charmer is absolutely the right work of art to remind us about the attraction of an art object as representative of a great idea to be uncovered/discovered and this is the pull for the visitor numbers and the enthusiasm for attending the Art Fair.'  Dr Warren Feeney, Art Historian and Editor, Art Beat 2021