About us
We are a home based operation, Mara, our five children, Nikau (not pictured), Louie, Otis, Mila, Joni and myself, with my workshop overlooking the southern coast of Dunedin City.
I was raised on a farm near the small country town of Patumahoe before moving to the North Shore of Auckland City at the age of five where I spent the remainder of my childhood. I was strongly interested in the arts from a young age and was particularly fascinated by Māori Taonga, greenstone and bone carving and the way they were bound and fastened. After relocating to the beautiful Golden Bay in my early twenties I began training in many crafts including bone carving with the legendary Chris Bone. After many years of bone and wood carving I transitioned into working with silver but brought with me my braided cord style that compliments my rough beaten ancient looking silver work.
Originally from Wellington Mara is of Māori descent, her Iwi (tribes) being Te Rawara and Te Aupōuri of the far north of New Zealand and she is a descendant of Chief Atama Paparangi. Mara works part time helping with jewellery production and marketing while she studies to be a midwife.
Chief Atama Paparangi