Gavin John Hitchings (26 December 1937 – 21 August 2018) was a jeweller who lived in New Zealand.
Early life
Born in
Woolwich
Woolwich () is a town in South London, southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was mainta ...
,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, Hitchings grew up in
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
and moved to New Zealand in 1965 where he worked as an entomologist in the
.
Jewellery
In 1968 Hitchings trained in the workshop of
Jens Hoyer Hansen, becoming a working partner in the business.
In the mid 1970s founded his own workshop and along with Hoyer-Hansen was a foundation tutor at Nelson Polytechnic Institute.
[Telford, Helen. ''Suter Art Gallery Magazine'', 7 April – 7 May 2000.]
The Jeweller's Mark: The Jens Hansen Workshop Story
He taught at Nelson Polytechnic between 1986 and 1995 and was the recipient of two QEII Arts Council grants. As Helen Schamroth writes, 'His works sometimes seem large as jewellery yet are miniatures in a sculptural context'.
Recognition
In 1977 he won was named Jeweller of the Year by the Jewellers Association of New Zealand.
Hitchings is an artist member of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, and has served on the advisory board for the former New Zealand Crafts Council and to the School of Visual Arts, N.M.I.T.
Selected exhibitions
Hitchings has exhibited extensively since 1974.
* 2009 ''Re:Fine'' Suter Art Gallery Nelson
* 2008 ''Rima-Five'' Catchment Gallery, Nelson
* 2007 ''Further Dimensions'' Form Gallery, Nelson
* 1997 ''Boulder Sculpture'' Miyazu City Japan
Further reading
* Richard Nunns
Gavin Hitchings: Profile New Zealand Crafts 22, Spring 1987.
References
1937 births
New Zealand artists
New Zealand jewellers
English emigrants to New Zealand
Living people
{{NewZealand-artist-stub