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…
The name Te Manawa o te Wā means The Heart of Time. It speaks to the quiet truth at the centre of this taonga — that time is the most precious gift we are given. This toki was commissioned by a son whose mother, at 86, is nearing the end of her life. When she…
Te Taura Whakapapa means the binding line of genealogy. I chose this name because this set was carved from a single family-held piece of Kawakawa Pounamu that had already travelled through generations. The stone itself carried whakapapa before I ever touched it. By shaping it into taonga for different members of the whānau, the line…
Te Whatu Whānau translates as “the family weave.” This name was chosen because this set is about many lives woven together from a single source. Every taonga in this set comes from the same gifted cobble of Pounamu, carrying the same whakapapa, yet each piece holds its own form, role, and meaning within the whānau….
Whakapiringa means to be bound together. This name was chosen to reflect the kaupapa of this whānau set: four individuals, each with their own form and role, all connected through whakapapa, shared stone, and a common story. Every piece in this set was carved from the same block of deep green Kawakawa Pounamu sourced from…
I carved this toki as a commissioned taonga named Kaha o te Ngaru. The name means “the strength of the wave,” and it speaks to resilience, movement, and the enduring power of the ocean as a source of guidance and protection. This piece brings together Māori and Pasifika symbolism in a single form, designed to…
I carved this pair of toki as a special commission for a father who wanted to gift something deeply personal to his two daughters. I have named this set Te Tirohanga Whānau, which translates to “The Gaze of the Family,” reflecting the idea of parents always watching over, guiding, and caring for their children. The…
Te Whenua e Tūhono Ana translates as “the land that connects us”. It speaks to connection through place, whakapapa, and whānau, and to the way land can bind people together through care, work, and shared responsibility. This name reflects both the kaupapa of this set and the origin of the kōhatu itself. This set of…
I created this set of eight Hei Toki for a group of school leavers who have each excelled in their areas. These taonga were carved to recognise their hard work, determination, and the qualities that helped them stand out during their final year at school. Each toki is a reminder of their achievement and a…
These two Hei Toki were carved as a continuation of a story that began with their father. A few years ago, I made him a Toki named Hononga, a piece that carried the kaupapa of connection — connection to people, to place, and to the whenua of Te Wai Pounamu. When he asked me to…
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