In Thrust, Young presents a new body of work developed over nine months in his New Plymouth studio. The exhibition includes six abstract furniture pieces, including side and occasional tables, alongside a series of small sculptural works. Together, these works investigate the relationship between built and natural forms, materiality and movement, function and expression.

Young’s furniture pieces are constructed from contrasting native timbers such as miro, puriri, and tawa. They feature complex joints and bold angles that reveal a tension between sharp, dynamic lines and fluid, organic silhouettes. The forms suggest both weight and lightness, masculine force and feminine grace. He describes these pieces as being informed by action, movements that are both intentional and graceful, a visual echo of energy given form.

His sculptural works take a more intuitive approach. Carved wooden figures, each set on an andesite stone base, resemble bony, abstracted human forms. These pieces mark a shift in Young’s practice, moving away from refined contours toward raw, gestural shapes. Here, the process of carving takes precedence over the material itself, guided more by instinct than design.

This new direction reflects Young’s evolving relationship with his own body. Informed by his exploration of movement and dance as a form of emotional and physical
expression, the sculptural works serve as a kind of embodiment, responses to sensation, emotion, and presence. He describes the making of this work as meditative, with a renewed focus on process over outcome, allowing the creative act to become a channel for honesty, connection, and release.