Lynn Dunn Master Carver

Master carver and sculptor Lynn Dunn creates works of exquisite beauty. His carvings unveil the spirit of the wood, reflecting his own life experiences and the beauty he sees in the world around him. Each piece has a spirit determined by the wood itself, by the client and by the heart of the carver, who pours his soul into the work. The sculpture waits within the wood and it is the skill of this master carver, the artist and his spirit that allow it to take form for the viewer to enjoy.

Using a wide range of tools, from chainsaws and routers to fine chisel and sandpaper, this master carver creates traditional Maori wood carvings, beautiful commissioned works of art and one-off wood sculptures in a wide range of styles that reflect the wood he is working with.

Lynn Dunn’s wood sculptures touch the viewer, evoking the emotions and connections that he has uncovered and that which he has carved into it, based on his own life experiences.

THE CREATION OF A LYNN DUNN WOOD SCULPTURE

The process began many years ago. A majestic coastal tree, constantly buffeted by gales, surrenders itself to the waiting surf below. The effects of wind, sand and waves shape and mould the branches and trunk until it is eventually tossed back onto the beach to await discovery. Or, deep in the virgin forests of New Zealand a hundred years or more ago, a bolt of lightning sends a mighty Kauri tree toppling to the ground where, half consumed by fire, it lies buried beneath the forest floor.

Using modern tools of bulldozer and chainsaw, the task of salvage begins as the sculptor identifies and rescues the unique pieces that he has already visualised into their finished form. Tucked in a bush surrounded studio in a quiet suburb of the northern city of Whangarei, the many hours of painstaking carving, shaping and sanding begin.

At last the work that nature has started is lovingly completed by master carver and sculptor, Lynn Dunn.

Click here to take a look at more of Lynn Dunn’s extensive collection of works.

"Knowing how passionate he feels about wood and having seen examples of what he can create, it will be exciting to see what a pile of 4x4 timber lying on the floor looks like after the master carver has been at work."
(Northland Times, Saturday, January 27, 1996)