Colours of the Sea gallery opens at Tukurua
Gaya Sedler of ‘Colours of the Sea’ Gallery with a piece of her New Zealand blue pearl jewellery. Photo: Ina Holst.
The latest entrant to Golden Bay's flourishing gallery scene is Gaya Selder's Colours of the Sea gallery at 41a Tukurua Road, formerly the retail shop of Flax Gully Pottery.
Gaya's specialty is handcrafted jewellery in gold and silver, featuring settings of New Zealand blue pearls, cultivated in paua, which she buys in.
Alongside her work is that of Margaret Bell, who sells her felting, scarves and knitting, and Tessa Whiteman, who offers her soaps, painted shoes, bags and paintings. Both women are rostered on one day a week. Also for sale is the pottery of Tim Eckert, mosaic pottery by Em Hofstede, folding chairs made of Australian hardwood by Michael Roehrs, and weavings by Joanne Peter.
Originally from Holland, Gaya immigrated to New Zealand in 1990, originally settling in the Bay of Islands before moving to Nelson nine years ago. Although she has only been a manufacturing jeweller for around five years, she did her initial training in Holland.
Before setting up her gallery at Tukurua, she sold her jewellery on the net and at Gallery Z. "I realise there isn't as much money around as there used to be, so I see an opening for people to bring in their surplus gold and silver jewellery so that I can turn it into new designs," she says.
Gaya now lives at Milnthorpe. Her husband, orthopaedic surgeon Bing Brabant, also assists her with the running of the business.
Gerard Hindmarsh
