Shane Christensen is a professional sculptor living on the Sunshine Coast, QLD Australia.

Shane calls himself an ‘environmental artist’ which is an interesting combination of his past life working in Conservation and Environmental Protection, and his current direction which is Chainsaw Carving.

He feels that educating people in how they can preserve and interact with fragile ecosystems is better achieved through interaction.

“Carving larger than life size animals, that kids can climb all over gives them a better connection to the environment than sitting in the classroom”

After a Feathertail Glider moved into one of his sculptures he realised that what he was creating wasn’t limited to art but also gave native animals a home.

Over the last few years Shane has started introducing native Australian Stingless Bee Hives into some of his sculptures. He found that they were instinctively attracted to particular type of wood he was carving with.

How did you get into working with wood?

Do you have an official qualification for what you do now?

What inspires your creations?

What would you tell your younger self starting out on your artistic journey?

Do you sell your work?

What is your favourite Arbortech Tool and why?

Fertility

Taking his inspiration from nature, Shane incorporates Australian Native bees into many of his sculptures. He carved this sculpture he calls “Fertility”. Not only this sculpture is breathtaking, he transformed it into a symbol of sustainability by installing a box hive of Australian Native Bees into the sculpture, with an entry through the belly button for the bees.

“This sculpture tells a story about the birds and the bees, and mother earth’s fertility.” Shane goes on to explain, “Humans, plants and animals all depend on the health of the planet, for the continuation of life”.