"Holding the Field 3" 2024

Holding the Field 3 (2024) is a one-of-a-kind sculptural work by New Zealand artist John Allen, and part of the Unity series — a body of work rooted in a single, profound idea. Handcrafted from pōhutukawa root salvaged from a fallen tree in Beachlands, Auckland, this piece stands as a free-standing sculpture of quiet presence.

The Unity series, as John Allen understands it, is not concerned with unity imposed from outside. It is something arrived at from within — through the willingness to open oneself, to do the inner work, to release what no longer serves, to accept what is. It is in that process of self-exposure and self-knowing, of individuation, that the paradoxical deeper realisation emerges: that we are not separate at all. That beneath the surface of individual experience, we are in unity with everyone and everything.

The title speaks directly to the philosophy that runs through the series. To hold the field is not to claim or fill a space, but to prepare it — to set the intention, to make room for love to emerge. This piece does exactly that: it stands with a stillness that invites the same quality in whoever is near it.

Finished with natural oil and wax. Available for viewing at Turua Gallery, St Heliers, Auckland.

Specifications:

• Title: Holding the Field 3 (2024)
• Artist: John Allen
• Materials: Pōhutukawa root (Beachlands, Auckland)
• Finish: Oil and wax
• Height: 460 mm
• Care: Indoor display recommended