Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Ngāti Pahipoto, Ngāti Raukawa
The whakapapa of Karl Leonard is steeped in ngā mahi toi a te Māori and he is deeply connected to the weaving communities of Te Arawa, Rotorua and Ngāti Raukawa, Ōtaki.
His paternal uncle Pakake Leonard (Ngāti Rangiwewehi) was an influential kaumātua and carver in the 1960-70s and first Director of the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, Rotorua. His maternal uncle Kaka Niao was a renowned Ngāti Tarāwhai carver. In 1988, Karl took up carving, to contribute to the building of Ruaihona Marae, Te Teko. It was the influence of his mentors, the female guiding staff of the NZMACI and indirectly his kuia, Ranginui Parewahawaha Teimana Leonard and Piarimu Kereua Ngaheu, that influenced his development as one of the top Māori weavers today.
His paternal kuia Ranginui, played a pivotal role in raising Karl through his childhood. In her late 90s, Karl observed his kuia weaving whāriki and she taught him to weave pīngao into continuous tīpare strips. During the early 1980s as a guide and weaver at NZMACI Whakarewarewa, Karl received weaving instructions from local kuia of Tūhourangi, Ngāti Wāhiao. In 1984 his third kete was critiqued by his kuia Ranginui, who was aged 112 at the time.
Today, Karl is widely respected for the delicacy of his work in raranga and whatu, and an expert in the challenging art of tāniko. Mastery of these skills are required to create piupiu, Leonard’s piupiu are in high demand, particularly among the highest-ranked kapa haka groups in Aotearoa. Despite that acclaim, Leonard’s passion lies with raranga harakeke and experimentation with the kete form, along with his constant return to tāniko poi and exploration of rare and original variations.
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Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Ngāti Pahipoto, Ngāti Raukawa
The whakapapa of Karl Leonard is steeped in ngā mahi toi a te Māori and he is deeply connected to the weaving communities of Te Arawa, Rotorua and Ngāti Raukawa, Ōtaki.
His paternal uncle Pakake Leonard (Ngāti Rangiwewehi) was an influential kaumātua and carver in the 1960-70s and first Director of the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, Rotorua. His maternal uncle Kaka Niao was a renowned Ngāti Tarāwhai carver. In 1988, Karl took up carving, to contribute to the building of Ruaihona Marae, Te Teko. It was the influence of his mentors, the female guiding staff of the NZMACI and indirectly his kuia, Ranginui Parewahawaha Teimana Leonard and Piarimu Kereua Ngaheu, that influenced his development as one of the top Māori weavers today.
His paternal kuia Ranginui, played a pivotal role in raising Karl through his childhood. In her late 90s, Karl observed his kuia weaving whāriki and she taught him to weave pīngao into continuous tīpare strips. During the early 1980s as a guide and weaver at NZMACI Whakarewarewa, Karl received weaving instructions from local kuia of Tūhourangi, Ngāti Wāhiao. In 1984 his third kete was critiqued by his kuia Ranginui, who was aged 112 at the time.
Today, Karl is widely respected for the delicacy of his work in raranga and whatu, and an expert in the challenging art of tāniko. Mastery of these skills are required to create piupiu, Leonard’s piupiu are in high demand, particularly among the highest-ranked kapa haka groups in Aotearoa. Despite that acclaim, Leonard’s passion lies with raranga harakeke and experimentation with the kete form, along with his constant return to tāniko poi and exploration of rare and original variations.
featured ArtWork