Darren Keith is a practising artist from New Zealand. Many of his sought after works are displayed in corporate offices, and homes through out New Zealand and around the world.

This versatile artist produces works in a number of mediums, for which to deliver his artistic message, from drawing and painting to sculptural ceramics.

Darren was formally educated at Rotorua Polytech in Art and Design. While still a student Darren was the winner of the 1996 Waikato Gas Ceramic Awards. The award was published in New Zealand Potter volume 38 number 3 1996. Bruce Dehnert was the selector, and wrote;

"I chose Darren Keith's Night Life for the Premier Award. The piece is a bas-relief, rectangular in shape and has the immediate finish of heavy oxide washes. The worn slab's corners curve out-ward from a spare wooden frame, the warpage of drying hasn't been resisted. Human figures have been modelled with an ease of touch, the slightest gesture of clay representing a hip, elbow, breast. It's a crowd scene with each figure vying for some one's attention.

Keith makes either knowing or unknowing reference to Rodin's Gates of hell and in particular, the early clay models, c1880. Both artist employ a heavy vertical shape in the centres of their works where the conventions of narrative can gather around or, in a way, subject themselves to. Keith's modelling, in all its simplicity, makes possible a complex reading, especially as the work gains momentum from its top to its bottom.

There is an interesting connection between the artist's technique of direct and modelling and the 'modelling' or posturing of his subjects. In this case, the real-life narrative is reflected in the artistic process. While Rodin used 'doubling' to break narrative logic, Keith has kept matter variable and ambiguous so as to allow multiple narratives to be assumed."

Focussing mainly on the human form, the human condition and the many cultures throughout the world, provides Darren with the inspiration for arrange of forms and expression that are portrayed throughout his artworks.

"Through the practice of clay construction and the use of Raku firing I can show some of the more lush and gestured-modelled aspects in my work. Through indulgance of money, technology and over-population the world that we now live in, embrace apathy but fight to keep and practice its cultural values. Through these indulgances most cultures only know three distinct entities in life: food, clothing and shelter everything else is wallpaper.

The world has changed dramatically in the past ten years, through large migrations of multi-cultured people, (a diasporic culture). They have all migrated with some faith of change and a better life for their family, an exodus of faith if you will. I think it's refreshing to experience all these amazing cultures, their food' their music and especially their art. Through these experiences, there is always an encyclopedia of visual material that I can use to create composition of visual culture.

I have always been a figurative artist and when I was young I learnt how to draw through the study of comic book super heroes, but now It's through the old masters and new masters but manly through observing, (people watching) the human being. I look at the way the human-body moves within its environment, the way we are with one another and especially the cultural diversities we each practise. I like to show emotion in my work through the practice of process and material dictation. My heart is always in my throat whenever I use European drawing and paint techniques to design compositions that show the human body and it's emotion or to construct clay sculpture and then firing it through the Japanese raku technique."