Wanda Gillespie
Wanda Gillespie is a contemporary artist working in wood sculpture and a woodcarving teacher. Renowned for her interactive small and large scale decorative chip carved abacus sculptures as well as her wood carved figurative and portrait sculpture, she is driven by a belief in the spiritual potency of physical matter. Her work explores themes of history, time, truth, and the mystical, drawing inspiration from ancient artifacts and the harmonious patterns and perfection of nature's mathematics.
Wanda enjoys sharing her craft through teaching private and group traditional woodcarving classes in relief and in the round as well as decorative chip carving classes. She takes commissions for wood carved portraits and is interested in collaborating with furniture makers in decorative carving.
Wanda’s journey into woodcarving began with an artist residency in Indonesia. She initially trained at the Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking with master carver Ronnie Sexton, and more recently studied traditional Maori Whakairo carving at Te Wananga o Aotearoa under master carver Cory Boyd.
Wanda is currently based in Thornbury, Naarm/Melbourne


