Console (Sculpture)

About the artist

Giora Dan

Giora Dan arrived in Aotearoa in 1997, chasing a woman. When she finally said yes, Giora set about building a life in his new country.

An avid traveller and intensely interested in people, Giora worked as a freelance photographer, both locally and internationally, for two decades. His social documentary work has appeared in publications such as The Smithsonian, Geo and New Zealand Geographic. His keen interest in issues of social justice and the human experience led Giora to provide bodies of work to support the efforts of UNESCO, Save the Children and Fair Trade. 

When Covid struck, it was time for a change. Giora retrained as a joiner and cabinet maker, establishing BurntWood as a small creative woodwork studio.

All of BurntWood products are created from sustainably sourced materials. Much of the wood Giora uses is recycled and brings its own story to the piece of work. Other fletches are sourced from residential felling or accessed through sustainable felling operations certified by MPI ( Ministry of Primary Industries). The glues used in his work are water based and he uses natural oils to draw out the beauty that already exists in the wood.

BurntWood products are hand crafted. Giora uses lamination to create pieces that are evocative of the braided rivers, mountains and dunescapes of Aotearoa. His stitched pieces are more edgy and, at times, animalistic. Clever use of lighting enhances lamps and ornamental pieces. Giora’s work is as earthy as it is erudite.