I have named this taonga Te Rongo o te Wai, meaning the peace of the water. This name speaks to the calm and stillness that water can bring, and the role this piece is intended to play for its wearer. It was created as something to be held, turned over in the hands, and returned…
Te Haepapa Tūturu translates to “the enduring responsibility.” This name reflects a life shaped by service, where responsibility is not something carried lightly or temporarily, but something lived every day. This taonga was created to represent that steady commitment to others — to guiding, supporting, and helping people grow in challenging environments. It also acknowledges…
This taonga is called Te Kaha o te Ara, a name that speaks to the strength carried along one’s path. It reflects the idea of moving forward with purpose, making decisions with intent, and having the inner strength to shape direction over time. Pounamu carries a deep connection to the whenua and its own long…
The name Te Here Whakapapa speaks to the binding threads of lineage and connection. “Here” means to tie or bind, and “whakapapa” refers to genealogy, the layers of connection that link people across generations. This set was created to honour a single piece of Pounamu that had been held by this whānau for decades, now…
This taonga is named Te Ngaru Māhaki, meaning “the gentle wave.” The name speaks to the balance of movement and calm, power and control. A wave carries strength, but it is not always forceful — it can be steady, quiet, and purposeful. This reflects the journey of a young man growing into himself, shaped by…
Te Here Pikorua translates roughly to “the binding double twist.” The name refers to the way relationships, cultures, and whakapapa are bound together through the lives of a whānau. The pikorua form symbolises two pathways that remain connected, even as they move and grow over time. This taonga is a double twisted pikorua form carved…
Some stones carry the presence of deep time within them. I named this taonga Te Mauri Onamata, meaning the life force of ancient times. The fossil shells preserved in the stone are the remains of living creatures from long before people walked this land. Because of that, the piece speaks about continuity, endurance, and our…
The name of this taonga is Te Puna Rangimārie, which can be translated as “the source of peace.” The name reflects the idea that calm and wellbeing come from reconnecting with the centre of who we are. Like the koru that sits at the heart of the design, that centre becomes the starting point for…
This fossil stone Toki carries deep time within it. Carved from a hard, fine-grained mudstone filled with ancient shell fossils, it holds the quiet story of the ocean pressed into stone. The slice was gifted to me by someone from the North Island, gathered from the Mohaka area in Tairāwhiti. From the moment I saw…
