Heina Petzold - Glass-Enamel Artist

Profile on Heina

About Heina Petzold - Glass-Enamel Artist

Winner: 2022 National Mosaic Awards Exhibition! Click here for the full story on NZ Herald.

After three years (1975-1978) of Tertiary Education at Teacher’s College “PH Berlin”, Germany followed by an informal jewellery apprenticeship in Berlin specializing in enamel jewellery I immigrated to New Zealand in 1979 where I also developed a passion for creating sculptures (was prof. organizer - together with my artist wife Eva Busch- of 9 national and 3 international (Adelaide-2, Germany-1) stone sculpture symposia.

I have been working as a professional enamel artist and sculptor since. I’ve sold my work mainly through my own art gallery on beautiful Waiheke Island/Auckland, sharing this space for 10 years with my wife Eva Busch, an award-winning sculptor. In 2016 we established a new gallery in Whanganui, joining the ever expanding, vibrant and unique local arts community there as well as moving closer to our mokopuna.

Over the past 40 years in NZ I have developed my very personal “pacific” style. I am apparently still the only established fully professional big scale enamel artist in this country. My designs are versatile, depending on the preferences of my clients and also my own changing inspirations. The enamel inlays and onlays can be found in my wall panels (all sizes) and as a unique and colourful part of sculptures, memorial plaques and family crests.

Exhibitions

I have exhibited in the following countries: New Zealand, Australia, USA, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Italy.

In Oct 2014, a big solo exhibition at the Yealands Estate Marlborough Art Gallery in Blenheim, NZ.

2018 solo exhibition “With Gusto” at Fine Arts Gallery, Whanganui.

I also exhibit a selection of my works in my home based gallery. Viewing by appointment only (txt or email).

A selection of Heina's art works
.

Dancers - Homage to Degas

The World Within

Seadragon

Nature & Civilization


Awards

  • 1993 Public vote at Golden Bay Art Awards for my very first big enamel wall panel.
  • 1998 National top Australian award for unique concept & management of an international sculpture event.
  • 2007 Finalist at the International Enamel Exhibition in Barcelona/Spain
  • 2007 Supreme Award Winner in Kentucky/USA for “Outstanding Concept and Excellence In Enamel Art“ at the International Competition in Enamel Art
  • 2012 Highly Commended Award at NZ Contemporary Mosaic Art Exhibition Whanganui
  • 2013 Commended Award at NZ Contemporary Mosaic Exhibition Pataka Porirua
  • 2015 Bronze winner at “Fakes and Forgeries” Exhibition, Mangaweka, NZ
  • 2015 Three awards for two 3D entries: Highly Commended Overall, Second 3D and Highly Commended 3D at NZ Contemporary Mosaic Art Exhibition Pataka Museum Porirua/Wellington (100 entries)
  • 2017 Top Public Vote for Best in Show at 2017 “Shades of Green” Art Exhibition Whanganui (40 local entries); art work on cover of 2018 “Shades of Green” Art Calender.
  • 2018 Third overall (120 entries) @ NZ National Mosaic Art Expo Orewa ; piece sold
  • 2019 Finalist with 2 pieces at National Australian Mosaic Expo in Canberra, Australia
  • 2022 Supreme Award Winner, First Overall, as well as First in the Category “Reflections on New Zealand” with MIND OVER MATTER triptych.
    Third Overall for second entry “Food for Thought”.
    Both awarded at the bi-annual New Zealand National Mosaic Art Awards Exhibition (72 entries), held this year in Whanganui, New Zealand, judged by renowned Australian multimedia artist (with PhD in History of Mosaics) Helen Bodycomb and two renowned New Zealand artists, glass artist Katie Brown and print maker Marty Vreede.

    This was my first participation in a bigger exhibition again after a three year forced ‘sabbatical’ due to the global COVID pandemic.

It is not ceramic! It is a copper based jewellery technique

I am the only large scale enamel artist in New Zealand. 

All my designs are mosaic-style due to the size of my small jewellery kiln. I draw the design onto 1mm copper sheet, then I cut all “puzzle pieces” by hand with a fine bladed jigsaw. Each segment is covered with enamel-glass powders and each layer (4 in total) is separately fired 3 to 5 minutes each segment at a 1000 degrees C. The glass powders are highest grade jewellery enamels. The fired segments fit together almost seamlessly. The whole process is very time consuming (big works can take up to five months). Larger creations may have over 1000 segments. Enamels are very long lasting. The pigments are metal based and won’t fade for centuries.