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 promotes healing at a moment of uncertainty and change. An independent spirit, The Snake Charmer articulates sound through form, resonating also in its reflective skin. Like a siren or guardian, the figure watches over land, rivers and seas, and asserts a humanity that includes 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 and discovered, and that this is the pull for the enthusiasm for attending the Art Fair."
Dr Warren Feeney, Art Critic & Editor, Art Beat 2021