The hands behind the stone
Our carvers.
Each piece in the gallery carries the story of the carver who shaped it. Meet the New Zealand artists whose patience, skill, and respect for pounamu bring these works to life.
Ōtautahi Christchurch
Jon Jeet
Ngāti Maniapoto and Fijian Indian artist — registered Ngāi Tahu pounamu carver with over 15 years honing his craft.
I te taha o tōku pāpā, nō Fīti ahau. I te taha o tōku māmā, ko Pirongia tōku maunga, ko Waikato tōku awa, ko Kahotea tōku marae. Nō Ngāti Maniapoto ahau ēngari i tipu ake ahau ki Te Wai Pounamu. E noho ana ahau ki Ōtautahi. He kaimahi toi ahau. Ko Jon Jeet tōku ingoa.
Jon Jeet is an artist of Maniapoto and Fijian Indian descent. He is based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, where he received his Master's degree in Painting in 2014 from the Ilam School of Fine Arts. He is also a registered Ngāi Tahu carver of pounamu.
Jon's practice is grounded in identity — exploring what it means to be Māori, Indian, Black, male, and to live within the layered realities that come with being a minority. He works primarily with pounamu and portraiture, with a particular focus on his carved toki. After more than 15 years honing his craft as a carver of taonga, he believes the toki encapsulates the mauri (essence) of one's being, becoming a vessel that retains and harbours part of one's life force.
Alongside his arts practice, Jon is a founder and trustee of Tūhono Taonga, Tūhono Tāngata — a kaupapa, established with his wife Irihāpeti Mahuika, that uses pounamu as a tool of engagement to support student wellbeing and empower communities to rise above inter-generational trauma. His monumental sculpture He Toki Maitai now stands permanently in New Brighton, Christchurch.
Akaroa → Christchurch
James Davidson
Lifelong passion for pounamu carving, from Akaroa beginnings to a Christchurch studio.
Kia ora, my name is James. This is my pounamu journey…
I was born and raised in Akaroa. When I was 11, my parents took me to Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island — this is where my love for pounamu was cemented. I was intrigued by this native stone.
I started searching for pounamu and would pop into a local store asking, “Is this it?” Always met with a “no”! After a while, the shop owner asked if I’d like to start polishing stones for him, and as an enthusiastic young man, I jumped at the opportunity. I was hooked. I started carving in his studio and selling pieces through his shop.
Fast forward a few years — I had a studio in Akaroa for 3 years, starting from the age of 13.
I now live in Christchurch and carve part-time in my self-built studio. Carving is my passion. I’m forever learning.