Life Force 9 (2026) is a sculptural work by New Zealand artist John Allen. A pōhutukawa root from a fallen tree in Northland rises from a carved volcanic rock from Auckland. The rock has been shaped to receive the wood — carved to hold and embrace the root, reversing the natural order in which roots grow around and are shaped by stone. The Life Force works speak to the unseen energy that animates all living things — the deep pulse that unites the visible and invisible, the personal and the universal. It is both what gives form and what moves through it. When a sculpture carries life force well, it creates a subtle but powerful exchange: of presence, aliveness, form and flow as one, simplicity and inner calm. What Life Force 9 evokes, above all, is fire. The roots move the way flames move — upward, branching, each one finding its own path while remaining part of the same rising energy. The rock at the base has yielded to the wood, shaped by it, opened to receive it — as though even stone cannot resist what is truly alive. Finished with natural oil and wax. Specifications: Title: Life Force 9 (2026) Artist: John Allen Materials: Pōhutukawa root (Northland), carved volcanic rock (Auckland) Finish: Oil and wax Height: 1270 mm | Width: 460 mm | Depth: 400 mm Care: Indoor display recommended
