Blood From Stone by Josh Olley

‍Artist: Josh Olley

‍Title: Blood From Stone

‍Year: 2026‍

Location: Waitemata Plaza‍

Size: 1660 × 700 × 600mm

Material: NZ Argillite

For price and purchase enquiries please contact ARTIS Gallery.

andrew@artisgallery.co.nz
artisgallery.co.nz

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About the artwork:

The work depicts a man's hand endeavouring to squeeze blood from stone — a metaphor for  perseverance and tenacity. "As an artist, the challenge of raising my family through stone sculpture has, at times, felt impossible — yet I feel I have achieved this. This work is  an encouragement to others to tackle the seemingly impossible.” - Josh Olley. 2025  The hand is sculpted true to form, embodying strength, tenacity, and determination. The sculpture is carved from a single stone block, ensuring unity of material and form.

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About the artist:

Josh Olley was born in New Plymouth and works full-time from his studio in Luggate, Central Otago. Self-taught, he began carving in bone in 1997 while living in Wanaka, quickly gaining recognition for his meticulous attention to detail. As his practice developed, Olley transitioned into large-scale stone sculpture, particularly favouring argillite for its durability and ability to hold fine detail. In 2025 his work Hand Down won the People’s Choice Award at Sculpture in the Gardens and was acquired for permanent display at the Auckland Botanic Gardens.