"Holding the Field 4"

Holding the Field 4 is a one-of-a-kind wall 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 the Auckland region, this piece is presented as a wall-hung work.

This piece is formed from a single curved pōhutukawa root, cut in half lengthwise to create a mirrored pair, then sanded smooth and reassembled side by side — insides out — to reveal the heart within.

The technique is inseparable from the idea. Unity, as John Allen understands it, is not something 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 Unity series. To hold the field is not to claim or fill a space, but to prepare it — to set the intention for the space, to make room for love to emerge.

Finished with natural oil and wax. A wall work of quiet depth — and an extraordinary gift.

Specifications:

• Title: Holding the Field 4
• Artist: John Allen
• Materials: Pōhutukawa root (Auckland region)
• Finish: Oil and wax
• Dimensions: 580 × 290 mm
• Display: Wall-hung
• Care: Indoor display recommended