“The Uniting of Difference and Unity 14”

The Uniting of Difference and Unity 14 is a one-of-a-kind sculptural work by New Zealand artist John Allen — the fourteenth piece in the Unity series, and a continuation of the philosophical inquiry from which the series takes its name and its meaning. Handcrafted from pōhutukawa root salvaged from a fallen tree in the Auckland region, this sculpture begins with an act of revelation: the root is worked to expose its interior, sanded smooth, and shaped into a form that invites reflection.

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 that the deeper realisation emerges: that beneath the surface of individual experience, we are not separate at all. That difference is not opposition — it is the very condition through which unity becomes meaningful.

The pōhutukawa root carries this idea in its grain, its irregularity, its organic truth. Finished with natural oil and wax, the interior grain is fully revealed — the hidden made visible, the inner brought to light.

The Uniting of Difference and Unity 14 is an original artwork of rare depth — a profound and considered gift for someone on a meaningful path.

Displayed together: This piece hangs beautifully with The Uniting of Difference and Unity 15 — mounted one above the other, the two forms read like swimmers moving through water, fluid and in quiet companionship. Collected as a pair, they create a composition that deepens the series' meditation on difference and unity.

Specifications:

• Title: The Uniting of Difference and Unity 14
• Artist: John Allen
• Materials: Pōhutukawa root (Auckland region)
• Finish: Oil and wax
• Dimensions: 1100 × 200 mm
• Location: Available for viewing at The Bay of Islands Trading Company, Russell, Northland
• Care: Indoor display recommended