STONE GROOVE

Michael Lidski

4 - 27 June 2021

A passion for rocks has culminated in Stone Groove, an exhibition of works of polished stone by Ukrainian-born and now Christchurch-based artist, Michael Lidski. Exploring the magnificent and varied nature of the South Island, Michael became fascinated with Birdlings Flat Beach, a place of wild beauty and power, where he began collecting gemstones. Believing that beauty should be functional, he started cutting, grinding and polishing these gems, which along with stones and petrified wood from other South Island locations, have been crafted into the pendants, bowls and sculptures, and inlaid into ornate tables of this exhibition.

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Michael Lidski was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and spent time living in Israel before relocating to Christchurch in 2004. As a press photographer in Israel, hundreds of his images were published in newspapers, magazines and books. In New Zealand he started making artworks based on photography, which have been exhibited in Christchurch art galleries and sold to private collectors. Over the last decade he has honed his stone polishing skills, with the spare time afforded by the lockdown providing the impetus to expand his work further to the kind of complex works showcased in Stone Groove. 

Well-known Canterbury lapidary expert, Malcolm Luxton, the author of the book “Agates of New Zealand”, will be joining Michael to speak at the exhibition’s opening event on 5 June, to which all are welcome.