Andrea du Chatenier recipient of the Dame Doreen Gift

Congratulations Andrea du Chatenier – who alongside Jamie Jenkins – is this year’s recipient of Dame Doreen’s Gift from The Blumhardt Foundation

The “Dame Doreen’s Gift is awarded annually by the Foundation to encourage two makers whose outstanding achievement and commitment has garnered the respect and admiration of peers and sector leaders. Andrea du Chatenier said of the accolade: “I’m incredibly excited about this. I’ve never been given anything with so little effort on my part…..no form filling, no requesting letters of recommendation, no summing up of my life, no commitment to big shows, no embarrassing interviews. It’s too lovely to be true”.

Blumhardt Chair Philip Clarke noted “Both are women working in ceramics, who within a relatively short time, have created work that has pushed the boundaries of what New Zealand ceramics look like and where they can be found. Trustees found this impressive.” On hearing of her Gift Andrea said “The nicest thing about the award is having a group of peers acknowledge my work. It’s like a delicious condiment that makes everything seem wonderful, and possible.”

– excerpts and image from Dame Doreen’s Gift: Media Release