Artist Profile of Peter Deckers Peter Deckers was born in the Netherlands completed his early jewellery training and education. He immigrated to New Zealand in 1985 and completed a MFA at Elam, Auckland University in 2003. Peter, who now works as a part time senior art tutor at Whitireia, Porirua (just north of Wellington) is both a contemporary artist and a craftsperson. Ideas that make distinctive connections with jewellery are the inspiration for his work, and a recent 20 year survey exhibition at Pataka, Porirua highlighted his interest in language, through a series of engaging pieces displayed with accompanying sound. He exhibits with dealer galleries throughout New Zealand and the world. His work, philosophy and ideas has also been the subject of a book, Choices of the hand, a survey of work from New Zealand jeweller Peter Deckers, introduction by Stevan Eldred-Grigg, published by First Editions, Wellington (supported by Creative New Zealand). He looks for what he calls the 'surprising complexity' of things and then seeks to work his way into that complexity beneath a surface which at first can seem a kind of commonness, a sort of normality, neutrality or simplicity. Consequently, each work is unique. Peter never repeats a design. (Stevan Eldrid-Grigg, Choices of the Hand, 2006) Most jewellery doesn't want to confuse you with complex ideas. It states its identity baldly and plainly - a precious reproduced object around which our own complex feelings of self and identity can then be amassed. It takes a strong artist therefore to make jewellery that also succeeds as art. To be able to create objects that retain jewellery boldness and finesse, yet also have the depth of life and mystery of great art. Peter Deckers is one such New Zealand jeweller; one of a select few who can be considered as fine a contemporary artist as he is craftsperson. Ideas rather than beauty drive Decker's practice. Not that his objects aren't exquisite, but what's distinctive here is that his work is often (and when it is most successful) actually about the ideas that surround jewellery. (Mark Amery, Jewellery in the Crown, review, Dominium Post, Wellington 23/9-05, B16); http://www.craftinfo.org.nz/cgi-bin/WebObjects/ArtFind.woa/3/wa/publicView?seekType=3&artistCodeToShow=petedeck&artistCraftinfoPageView=about