COMMERCIAL ARTIST AND ILLUSTRATOR

Since the mid-eighties  Bruce has provided commercial artwork, illustrations and cartoons for a wide range of applications including magazines, books, posters, stationery products, clothing and websites. Some of groups and organizations he has supplied work to include Learning Media, Gilt Edge Publishing, the Department of Conservation, the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, Forest and Bird, Greenpeace and the World Wide Fund for Nature. His drawings and paintings of plants and animals have been reproduced in publications and websites all over the world. (See the  Gallery Pages for Examples of his work).

 ART TEACHER

Bruce taught art at  Williams School of Art ('Inverlochy Art School') in Wellington between 2004 and 2017. As well as teaching screen-printing(on both paper and fabric), illustration and cartooning to adults he also taught a wide range of general art skills to children and teenager students. He also had stints teaching screen-printing at both Masterton and Wellington Technical Colleges.(Weltech) and teaching general art classes to clients at both Independent Living (a group for people with disabilities) and Pablo's Art Workshop in Wellington. 

MURALIST/STREET ARTIST

Since 2005 Bruce has produced murals /street art in New Zealand and Great Britain  for private organizations, property companies and City Councils. He tries to make sure that where possible the mural reflects the local history of the area and compliments the building on which it is placed.  You can see more of his mural art in the GALLERY under SIGNS AND MURALS. Bruce's murals appear in two  books about world street art, 'Street Art of the World' (2012)  and 'Urban Art - the World as a Canvas' (2014), both books written by Garry Hunter (Arcturus Publishing).

If you would like to discuss getting a mural you can contact him at - [email protected]

 AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER

In 1990 Bruce published his own comic called 'Bio-hazard'. Since then he has drawn cartoons and written articles for many publications including student newspapers, Critic and Craccum, Stamp Magazine, Phantom Bill Sticker's 'Cafe Reader' magazine and the Audioculture website. 

In 2003, together with Forest and Bird’s Carol Knutson, he wrote, illustrated and published ‘Kiwi Creatures’ (a coloring and conservation handbook) which  sold out its print runs of 4000 copies. A second book with Carol, ‘Amazing Animals of New Zealand’ , was published in 2007 but is also no longer available.

Mahalski is also a keen social historian and in 2005 he wrote two educational children’s books about New Zealand’s social history for Gilt Edge Publishing – 'New Zealand’s Golden Days' and 'Pounamu – A Stone of Many Uses'.

Together with Helene Hall he produced 'The A-Z Colouring Book', another book featuring new Zealand wildlife. This book is still available. 

His latest book,with Auckland scientist/artist. Craig Hilton, is called 'Seeds of Life - the Bone Art of Bruce Mahalski". This book, as well as being a survey of Bruce's bone art, also examines issues around bio-ethics, evolution and the art of collecting. This book will soon be available for purchase from Rim Books. 

CONTEMPORARY ARTIST AND MUSEUM DIRECTOR

Since 1997 he has had solo and group exhibitions of his art work  around the country in a range of media including screen-printing, photography and painting  but these days he is most well known for his distinctive sculptures made from found animal bones. In 2017 he moved back to his hometown of Dunedin and opened The Dunedin Museum of Natural Mystery. This is both a museum which showcases his large collection of skulls and ethnological art and a gallery where he displays his latest bone sculptures. 

 See www.mahalski.org - for more details about Bruce's art work and www.royaldunedinmuseum.com for information about how to visit the museum.