Life Force: Harmony (2026) is a sculptural work by New Zealand artist John Allen. A pōhutukawa root from a fallen tree in Northland rises from a polished South Island river stone, its curves stacked and contained — vertical, composed, and quietly powerful, with a flourish on top. Carved into the stone is the ancient triple spiral from Newgrange, one of humanity's oldest symbols of mind, body, spirit.
The Life Force works speak to the unseen energy that animates all living things — the deep pulse that unites the visible and invisible, the personal and the universal. It is both what gives form and what moves through it. When a sculpture carries life force well, it creates a subtle but powerful exchange: of presence, aliveness, form and flow as one, simplicity and inner calm.
In this Life Force piece, harmony comes through the way the root’s curves gather into a single rising form. Each turn keeps its own character, yet sits in relation to the next, creating a quiet balance between movement and stillness. The polished river stone gives the sculpture a steady base; the carved Newgrange triple spiral brings its own layered rhythm to this meeting of forms. Together, root and stone hold energy as both upward movement and grounded presence.
Finished with natural oil and wax.
Specifications:
Title: Life Force: Harmony (2026)
Artist: John Allen
Materials: Pōhutukawa root (Northland), river stone (South Island)
Stone carving: Newgrange triple spiral (mind, body, spirit)
