Norbert Hausberg migrated to Aotearoa in 1983 and since then has been exploring his relationship with the whenua as a European emigrant.
For over thirty years the German born artist and puppeteer delighted local audiences with productions starring his unique hand-carved and crafted marionettes. Hausberg toured the motu with his one-man company performing re-imaginings of classic fairy tales and original stories inspired by New Zealand and European histories, including Mustava and the Kauri Giant, which explored environmental and conservation concerns, and is now part of the permanent collection at Te Papa Tongarewa.
While in recent years Hausberg has turned his hand to other endeavours, these environmental concerns remain at the centre of both his creative work and life.
Hausberg has most recently been working with Pounamu, after a friend introduced him to a carver in Hokitika who in turn sourced the greenstone for him. The result sees him creating jewellery that responds directly to contemporary Aotearoa while drawing upon European art history, including Marcel Duchamp’s concept of The Readymade and René Magritte’s Ceci n'est pas une pipe.
“Pre covid I attended a jade carving workshop in Hokitika and now I'm hooked on it. Having carved all my life, it was a natural progression. It is inspiring to see the many faces and colours of Pounamu and create interesting avant-garde jewellery. It’s an awesome material and part of our great heritage and history of Aotearoa.”