User:Stu Robertson

= Stu Robertson =

Stuart Robertson (born 10 November 1969) is a New Zealand entrepreneur, designer and photographer. Known for his taking portrait of the like of  His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu for his project Peace in 10,000 Hands. He has also founded creative focused companies in New Zealand and California.

Early Years
Robertson started career as an entertainer on TVNZ and stage as a pickpocket, magician, comedian, presenter and emcee. Television shows were prank based shows including Great Kiwi Video Show and Just Kidding where he performed all of the pranks.

Entrepreneurial Ventures
Robertson has founded many companies since 1989 in various creative fields including: entertainment, publishing, agency, production, location based entertainment, hospitality and events.

One of Robertson’s companies, I Want Orange, delivered brand activations for over 20 years including closing two lanes of the Auckland Harbour Bridge so famous cricketers including Stephen Fleming and Sir Richard Hadlee could play a display game of cricket and the another event in the tunnel of a four lane main highway in Auckland New Zealand.

List of companies founded by Robertson:
Founder I Want Orange (former Orange Productions )

Founder Collective

Founder Genio Global Entertainment

Founder Peace in 10,000 Hands

Founder Muhammad Ali Experience Los Angeles

Peace in 10,000 Hands
A Global Art Project to invigorate conversation for peace. Stuart Robertson is photographing a single white rose, an ancient symbol of peace, in the hands of 10,000 people from every country on the planet.

Robertson defined the project as:"‘’An evocative and unstoppable global art project creating a visual provocation to challenge and reinvigorate the conversation for peace. Contemporary artworks that speak profoundly to our similarities in the human condition”"Peace in 10,000 Hands has received global media attention and coverage  and currently counts with the?????????

Artist
Robertson is a contemporary artist, adventurer and humanitarian who melds photography, sculpture, film, symbolism and social media with cast glass, gold leafs, neon, lightboxes with stone and metal fabrication to create large scale artworks that speak profoundly to the viewer. His goal is to capture profound images of an ancient and timeless symbol for Peace, a single white rose.

Creating a global conversation and ripple effect, he draws on the power of modern social networks and instant borderless communication that dissolves prejudice and makes mankind more connected than at any other time in history.

The artists passion for seeing the world through an alternate view it is shown with expression and exploration in various mediums and a focus on making a difference.

Films
Robertson was commissioned by Auckland War Memorial Museum to create a film for International Day of Peace. The film was projected onto the front of the Museum.

Robertson produced ‘The Exquisite Clarity of Standing Together’ a collaboration with Tiki Taane for his exhibition at Pataka Art + Museum. The collaboration utilized Robertson’s images with a specially written original piece of music.

Antarctic Campaigns
Invited by Antarctica New Zealand as part of the Community Engagement Programme for the 2014 / 2015 and the 2017 / 18 seasons, Robertson stayed at Scott Base on both trips and visited McMurdo Station as part of his Peace in 10,000 Hands Project  to, through his photography, raise the importance of Antartica in the global context of Peace as mentioned in the articles 1, 2 and 3 of the Antarctic Treaty.

The Antarctic Treaty was signed in the late 1950’s initially by 12 nations and now includes 50 nations representing about two thirds of the world’s population. The Treaty was signed for ‘Peace and Scientific Endeavour’. Most notably Peace being first and this is what drove Robertson’s invitation as an artist.

Robertson visited and photographed the Hillary’s Hut as well as Robert Falcon Scott historic hut at Scott’s Hutt and Captain Shackleton’s hut at Shackleton’s Hut and also Discovery Hut on Ross Island.

As part of his trip, Robertson camped in the Dry Valleys in Antarctica to document through the lens of his camera the driest and harshest conditions in earth considered by many as the quietest place in the world

It is the first and only time Robertson has photographed the rose not in the hands of a person. The huts are in pristine condition and maintained by Antarctica Heritage Trust

Antarctica was a significant milestone in the project and for Robertson’s career resulting in planned exhibitions, a film and book.

Other Travels
As part of Peace in 10,000 Hands, Robertson has traveled to seven continents and takes the rose on road with him as he travels and photographs it in the hands of people in countries such as India, Papua New Guinea, Haiti, Russia, Panama, England, Turkey, Dominican Republic, Australia, Mexico, United States, Canada, Argentina, Italy, Singapore, Dubai, Peru, Chile, Phillipines, Indonesia and Cuba.

60 Minutes
Robertson was approached by the producers of 60 Minutes when they got wind of Peace in 10,000 Hands as he was heading to photograph His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Once returning from the trip work commenced in setting a date for filming. Peace in 10,000 Hands was the lead story for 60 Minutes the week it appeared.

The story provided significant credibility for the project and has remained a source of pride for those who have been photographed for the project.

TEDx talk
Robertson's TEDx talk was a result of a Californian contact and recommendation for a talk on Peace and the project. As with most appear who deliver a TEDx talk it was a pivotal moment for Robertson and Peace in 10,000 Hands. There were many influential things that happened as a result of the TEDx most notably was Robertson introduction to the HATCH network leading him to attend two (HATCH) experiences and (C2 Conference) in Montreal.

Published Book
In 2015, Robertson published a coffee table book featuring collection of images and stories from the first five years of the project called Peace in 10,000 Hands

Exhibitions
Robertson has had solo exhibitions in New Zealand, Australia and America. His exhibitions include prints, lightboxes and photographs with neon.

His practice has grown with exhibitions including sculptures using highly polished stainless steel, weapons in cast lead crystal, screen printing and gold leaf works based on the narrative of Peace.

Gusford Gallery - Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, August 2013

New Zealand Launch Exhibition, Orakei Bay, Auckland, May 2014

LAB Art - South La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, June 2014

Arts Foundation of New Zealand, Solo show, Auckland August 2014

Art Foundation of New Zealand, Solo show, Queenstown August 2014

Auckland War Memorial Museum, International Peace Day (Film), September 2014

Sydney Peace Day, Circular Quay, September 2014

Studio 66 opening exhibition, November 2014

LAB Art Texas, November 2014

Pataka ART+ Museum, Solo Show, September 2015

Pataka ART+ Museum, (Film) ‘Exquisite Clarity of Standing Together’

Leica Gallery, Digital Show MCC, Solo Show, October 2015

Gallery X, Auckland festival of Photography, Auckland , 2015

Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington, Solo Show, February 2016

Gallery X, Auckland, Solo Show April 2016

Auckland Art Fair, Page Blackie, Solo Show, May 2016

New Zealand Fashion Week, Solo Show, August 2016

Te Takere – Levin, Solo Show, November 2016

Page Blackie Wellington, ‘Landscapes’ November 2016

Leica Gallery Sydney, Solo Show, Grand opening exhibition, December 2016

Leica Gallery Sydney, Solo Show ‘100 Portraits’, June 2017

Page Blackie Gallery Wellington, ‘Light’ Solo Show, October 2018

Page Blackie Auckland, ‘Light’, Solo Show, November 2018

Scape, Queenstown, private show, November 2020

Gallery 33, Freeman’s Bay Auckland, opening launch exhibition May 2021

Robertson has photographed winners and recipients of:

 * Nobel Peace Price
 * BAFTA
 * Golden Globe
 * Emmy Awards
 * Academy Awards
 * Grammy Awards
 * Olympic Gold Medalists
 * Victoria Cross

Including:

 * His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama - Nobel Peace Prize
 * Right Honorable Jacinda Ardern – New Zealand Prime Minister
 * Archbishop Desmond Tutu - Nobel Peace Price
 * F. W. de Klerk - Nobel Peace Price
 * Sir Richard Hadlee - Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009
 * Sir Stephen Tindal - Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
 * Her Excellency The Right Honorable Dame Patsy Reddy - 21st Governor-General of New Zealand
 * Sir Jerry Mateparae - 20st Governor-General of New Zealand
 * Demi Moore
 * Emily Blunt
 * Danny DeVito - Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award
 * Daryl Hannah
 * Jamie Lee Curtis
 * Weird Al Yankovic - Grammy Awards
 * Diane Feinstein - USA Senator
 * Mickey Rourke
 * Ricky Gervais - He has won seven BAFTA Awards, five British Comedy Awards, two Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards
 * Dan Carter - All Blacks player and Rugby World Cup champion, 2011 and 2015
 * Karl Urban
 * Martin Henderson
 * Sir John Kirwan
 * Tiki Taane
 * Valerie Adams - Gold Medal Olympian Beijing 2008 Olympics and London 2012 Olympics
 * Bobby Brown
 * Richard Tylor - Multiple Academy Awards Winner
 * Jennifer Gray
 * Nick Ut - Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography and World Press Photo of the Year for "The Terror of War"
 * Brooke Shields
 * Lucy Lawless
 * Cedric Gervais
 * Paul Sorvino
 * Obba Babatundé
 * Richard Lewis
 * Matt Lucas
 * Willie Apiata - recipient of the Victoria Cross for New Zealand
 * Katherine Helmond
 * Tony Robins
 * Sir Andrew Strauss - English Cricket Captain
 * Hans Zimmer - Academy Award Winner, Golden Globe Awards Winner and Grammy Awards Winner
 * Lisa Kristine
 * Irvin Mayfield - Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
 * Tony Robinson
 * Melanie Griffith - Golden Globe Winner
 * Olga Sinclair
 * Niki Caro - British Academy Children's Awards Winner
 * Michael Crowford - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
 * Mark Gilbert
 * Oscar Kightley
 * Clark Gregg
 * Zedd
 * Tiësto
 * Nikki Sixx
 * Richard Simmons
 * Marcia Cross
 * Daphne Zuniga
 * Esai_Morales
 * Stephen Tobolowsky

Ambassadorships
Robertson was made a Leica Ambassador in 2015. This has seen him work with Leica Akademie’s in New York, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Queenstown and online. Solo exhibitions at Leica Sydney store (twice).

He has also been an Ilford Ambassador and Master since 2015

Galleries
Robertson has two permanent galleries in New Zealand for Peace in 10,000 Hands work Queenstown - studio66 and Auckland – Gallery 33