Max Patté

Max Patté studied at the Wimbledon School of Art in London (1997-2000) and was elected an Associate of the Royal Society of British Sculptors in 2008. British- born Max has been based in Wellington, New Zealand for the past 10 years creating a body of work that includes both sculpture and light works.

He is well known for his iconic sculpture Solace in the Wind, located on the Wellington waterfront and cast iron horses The Frolic and the Fancy found at the Hill’s Golf Club & Sculpture Park in Queenstown. Having acquired corporate patrons and collectors throughout the world, including Sir Ian McKellen, Charles Saatchi, Stephen Fry, and Sir Michael Hill; Max is quickly becoming one of New Zealand’s most successful artists.

At its core, Max’s practice is an exploration of the infinite qualities of light & how it is expressed in the natural world manifested into physical works in the studio. Advances in modern technologies are a constant source of inspiration to the production of Patté’s work. The latest developments in an array of computer programs, iPad apps, CNC Milling, digital scanning and 3D printing are all employed on a day to day basis in his studio.

Light, colour, tone and saturation all have a direct effect on our mood; changing our emotions as much as our environment. Through the use of colour and light Patté’s practice, which spans light works, painting and sculpture, endeavours to emit the same effect. Max aims to change the space in which the work is viewed and alter the viewers’ relationship to that space. In much the same way that our immediate natural environment prompts a physiological change, Max aims to produce work that offers a multi-sensory experience that provokes an emotional response.