Ko Taranaki te Maunga
Ko Wanganui te Awa
Ko Tokomaru te Waka
Ko Te Ati Awa toku Iwi
Ko Waikawa te marae
Ko Campbell Potter toku ingoa.
In recent years I have been learning about and connecting with my Māori whakapapa – lineage, I have learned more about my Te Ati Awa Tupuna – Ancestors. I completed a Ngai Tahutanga and Personal Development course called Aoraki Bound, I have grown in confidence with being Māori. Teaching myself to carve Pounamu has been part of this and is why I created Campbell Carving. As well as this site, I have created a YouTube channel to share this journey and what I am learning. Check it out here.
I was working in education between 2007 and 2017, in 2018 I moved back to my families sheep and beef farm to work there. I am the 6th generation to grow up there of my family, the Campbell’s, who came from Ireland. I have a beautiful wife and 2 kids. After deciding that farming is not our future we have settled in Christchurch to raise our family. As of 2020 I have been working at Rolleston College as a Kaiako teaching Outdoor Education.
My Approach
I take most of inspiration from my cultural heritage as a descendant of Te Ati Awa as well as from Nature, particularly water and rivers.
Basing my carving in the shapes of the genuine objects they represent is something I aim for.
I use as much of my spare time as I can to carve, it is relaxing and rewarding.
I try to show the beauty and character of the stone. I like things that are a bit different to the normal or the traditional yet are still based on these recognisable inspirations. I particularly like patterned stone where there are inclusions of other materials that add contrast to the piece.
My pieces look like stone, beautiful, natural stone. I hand sand and polish every piece I make. Hand sanding means the edges fold into each other and the curves flow together this gives a hand crafted look and feel. I am not, however, a precision carver, my carving has the organic and asymmetrical shape of stone.
Areas of Interest
Here at Campbell Carving I am open to all designs and enjoy the creative side of designing something truly unique. In essence every pounamu made is unique due to the type of stone. I like the functional aspects of the toki and and am inspired by historical, practical tools.
I often try to replicate the shape of a functional tool. I feel this gives the piece an authentic quality.
The Roimata or Tear Drop is a beautiful example of curves coming from many different angles to join in a pleasing to the eye form. Seeing a drop that has achieved good proportions makes me feel good inside.
