Raised in a hardworking community dominated by pastoral farming, the Buick family learned that improvising with finite resources would produce innovating results. This ‘make do, can do’ attitude embodies the tradition of Kiwi ingenuity where New Zealanders refuse to be held back by limited resources, and believe in their ability to solve problems in ways that challenge the status quo – this is otherwise known as the ‘Number 8 Wire’ mindset, most prevalent in rural families.
Ngaire’s father was your typical, hardworking Kiwi bloke – a man who carved a living for himself and his family through hard effort tending to his farm, cattle and sheep. Her mother, a nurse by trade, was a wealth of artistic inspiration. “As kids we were surrounded by her creativity – the curtains, furniture coverings, the clothes we wore, bedspreads – all were created by my mum. She was an amazing seamstress who could knit, crochet, and make lace but her true passion was porcelain dolls.
“The first item I burnt was a wooden spoon (which I still have) and I was hooked. My husband and I soon fell into a routine; he would turn bowls and candles holders which I would then decorate with pokerwork and sell at markets on the weekend.” Through this, their business Burnt Offerings was born. Ngaire soon realised that her husband could not keep up with her demands for turned pieces, so she turned to refurbishment, and fell in love with the idea of giving unwanted items a new lease of life. Thus, ‘upcycling’ became her new medium.
Ngaire Kearney
