Born in Auckland in 1961,Brendan has been making a living from clay since 1987. With Kathryn his wife, he set up Out of the Blue, a shop in Kingsland, Auckland which they had for 10 years. Together they now run Brendan Adams Design from their home studio in Auckland.
Brendan has a diploma in Fine Arts from Otago Polytechnic, where he majored in painting. Brendan’s domestic ware is well recognised for its pacific colours,
its easy going kiwi attitude and inventiveness, he is also well known for his abstract and figurative sculpture.

His work has been exhibited throughout the country in major competitions and exhibitions where he has won several awards, and is represented in the Auckland Museum, James Wallace Trust and regional collections.
Brendan has amassed a large following of clientele who appreciate his fine
New Zealand ceramics and creative and unusual sculpture.

More recently his contemporary sculpture has seen him combine other materials with the ceramics such as steel, brass, alluminium and wood.

The work is all coming together for Brendan's exhibition at Art By the Sea gallery.  Following his very successful exhibition; "Navigating Everyday Spaces" he has carried on making these new pieces using brass and ceramics.  Many of these pieces are built around a single point on the wall. On some of the pieces the balance is achieved by moving the ceramic components around.

“The name of this exhibition was lifted from the title of one of my favourite books, “A Fine Balance” by Rohinton Mistry.  In this book life hangs in the balance for 2 of the main characters as they live through a precarious existence.  However all the way through the book lives a positivity and hope for the future. 

In these works I have been playing with forms cantilevered on wire rods balancing from a single point on the wall. Each object and counter weight carry their own particular quality both physically and emotionally.   The implication of many of these works circles around the topic of the way we live in our physical environment, and how we strive for a balance.   

When you hang these pieces on their sculptured hooks you need to find the balance by moving the ceramic objects or sliding the brass sleeve to find the balancing point.  I find this interaction with the pieces to be very satisfying." Brendan Adams 2020