Clem Mellish
Clem Mellish has an extensive range of Pounamu (New Zealand Jade) and Pakohe (Argillite) pieces available for sale at The Gallery Havelock. If you are looking for something in particular please contact us.
Clem Mellish is of Ngā Puhi descent. He lives and works in the small idyllic harbour town of Havelock, situated at the head of Pelorus Sound in the beautiful Marlborough Sounds.
His love of daily walks through nearby native forest beside the peaceful waters of Te Hoiere is reflected in the flowing natural forms of his work. The influence of his Māori ancestry is also very strong in both his work and his life. He returns a lot of his energy to his people, as his work is always in demand for special treasures on Māori Marae in tribal areas throughout the country.
Clem's greatest love is working stone, watching its colours emerge and adapting design as the stone itself suggests. Pounamu (New Zealand Jade) and Pakohe (Argillite) are his favourite stones. Pakohe is a metamorphosed mudstone, harder than steel and once highly prized for adze making and personal adornment.
Pounamu - his first love - is a world class nephrite jade with a rich variety of colour variations. These can have inclusions such as beautiful cloud patterns, or even fishskin-like mottling. When worked into the design these enhance both the appearance and esteem of the work. From these variations come the traditional names Kōkopu for its spotted appearance like a fish of that name "Pipiwhararoa" for the feather-like pattern of the shining cuckoo, and so on.
Clem was awarded the Marlborough Living Cultural Treasure Award in 2016.
Contact us.
To order any of these works, or to enquire about any of them, please fill out the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.