Jonas Raw

Jonas Raw, Reflect, 2022

Fitted with polished steel panels, Reflect’s irregular architecture mirrors yet distorts the surrounding seascape. From afar, it might be perceptible only as a subtle wrinkle in the fabric of the universe, as the suggestion of a hidden and somewhat otherworldly aperture through which to pass.

On the other side of this wrinkle, visitors will find themselves as if transported to another time and place which embraces the body within an impossible quiet, gentle warmth and the earthy scent of the structure’s minimalist cedar paneling.

The work’s creator, Jonas Raw, hopes that this illusion of heading somewhere inside the earth will prompt visitors to retreat inside themselves. To take a moment during their walk on the sculpture trail for stillness and reflection and enjoy being together in thought in the sheltered space he has carefully crafted.

JONAS RAW

Waiheke Island

Jonas Raw is a designer and founder of his own creative studio, Space Creators. His practice emphasises the reciprocity between inner and outer space, which encompasses sustainability-oriented values, nature-inspired forms, and an approach to design as a tool for physical, emotional, spiritual and communal well-being.

Raw grew up in Germany, where he undertook an apprenticeship in cabinetry. His work was recognised with a scholarship which allowed him to further his studies in Hawaii under renowned furniture maker Tai Lake. When he returned to Germany, he began a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design and Architecture. He started his own commercial operation, working across interior design, bespoke furniture fabrication and sculpture.

He has lived on Waiheke Island since 2012, where he continues to expand this practice.

Instagram @jonasraw, @spacecreatorsdesign

jonasraw.com, spacecreators.co.nz