Jim Wheeler b. 1952

Born in North Carolina, Jim Wheeler is the son of a professional forester and describes himself as an ‘amateur botanist’, having studied both art and biology at university. His continued interest in plants and how plant communities evolve still informs his sculptural practice today.

Wheeler studied art under Setsuya Kotani and sculptor Peter Agostini, earning a BA with Honours at the University of North Carolina before becoming an apprentice at the Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture in the 1970s. In 1981 he immigrated to New Zealand to help set up Art Works sculpture foundry.

A member of the Medal Artists of New Zealand group, his reputation as one of the country's foremost bronze sculptors has led to a number of significant commissions, including the NZ Olympic Academy Leonard A. Cuff Medal, The Arts Foundation of NZ Governors’ Medal and the XXX America’s Cup Medal, and The NZ Music Hall of Fame award. 

Wheeler’s large-scale commissions are grounded in nature and exemplify both his skill as a sculptor and his passion for environmental issues.  One such commission, Pohutukawa/Rata Descending, measures 2.5 metres across and can be seen, suspended mid-air, in the atrium of 280 Queen Street, Auckland. 

Wheeler has been professionally exhibiting for over forty years. His work is held in The British Museum, London, The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, USA, The Auckland Museum, The James Wallace Trust and The NZ Embassy Residency, Paris. He has also been included in major New Zealand sculpture exhibitions including Sculpture in the Gardens, Auckland Botanic Gardens, Brick Bay Sculpture Park, Matakana, Sculpture Onshore, Sculpture on the Gulf, Tai Tapu Sculpture Gardens, Christchurch and Shapeshifter, The New Dowse.