Ngāti Porou, Irish, English

From a very young age, I was encouraged to be creative, and this has developed into a lifetime of learning. I like to make small sculptures in the form of body adornments, using mostly precious metails and natural materials such as wood, gum, shell, stone, and fibre.

My mahi is based within my Māori and European roots and influenced by my love of great design, architecture, nature and social issues.

I have a Certificate in Craft Design and a partially completed Master of Design. I have participated in numerous national and international exhibitions, notably ‘Māori Art Meets America’ in 2005 and ‘Small Treasures’ in 2008, both in San Francisco. I have also attended significant international hui in Aotearoa, the Solomon Islands and Washington State, USA. My work has also been used to publicise New Zealand and included in specialist publications, such as Te Kahui o Matariki: Contemporary Māori Art of Matariki and Māori Art for Kids. I have also been profiled in the television arts series Kete Aronui’.

I continue to feel extremely honoured to be chosen for these opportunities.