Carver Profiles
- Lewis Tamihana Gardiner
As a tutor he hopes his students will grasp an appreciation for Māori arts and crafts.
- Matetu Herewini
As an aspiring Māori artist, Matetu’s heritage is his foundation and also his muse.
Pounamu Development and Training Unit
The Pounamu Development and Training Unit was launched at Te Puia on 5 October, 2009. The Unit is another extension of Te Puia’s commitment to its legislation; the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute Act, 1963. This legislation was put in place (originally in 1926) to maintain, develop and promote the arts, crafts and culture of Māori.
The pounamu carving team is lead by Lewis Gardiner (Ngāti Pikiao/Ngāi Tahu). The Unit will train existing Te Puia students in the time honoured tradition of pounamu, and will be offering training to prospective students in the near future.
As well as a back of house workshop, the Unit will have a display carver positioned in Te Puia’s wood carving school to demonstrate the artform and to answer questions about this traditional practice. Carved pounamu – made onsite – is also available in Te Puia’s retail store.
In the near future Te Puia will be distributing pounamu carvings to other retail distributors in New Zealand and around the world.
