Ringa Toi
meet our carvers
Lewis Tamihana Gardiner
Owner of Rākai Jade, Head Artist and Carver
Te Arawa, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tahu, Te Whanau-Ā-Apanui
He graduated in Māori Craft and Design in 1994, where he first worked with Pounamu. What began as curiosity quickly became commitment. By 1995, he was full-time, specialising in traditional Māori forms while steadily developing his own style.
After receiving the Mana Pounamu Awards three times, he was appointed as the inaugural Tumu Whakairo of The National Stone and Bone Carving School in 2009, where he focused on supporting, enhancing and creating pathways for his students.
Stepping down in 2013 to continue his growth as an artist, he later formed Rākai alongside fellow artist and carvers to continue the pursuit of excellence.
Joel Buck Marsters
Ko Ngongotaha te maunga
Ko Rotorua-Nui-Ā-Kahumatamoemoe te roto
Ko Te Arawa te waka
Ko Te Arawa iwi
Senior Carver
Joel’s carving practice centres on traditional forms of Hei Tiki. A form he approaches with care, respect and focus. Working within the Rākai collective, he continues to refine and reinterpret this enduring symbol through careful proportion, balance and detail.
Grounded in traditional Māori form yet quietly contemporary in expression, his mahi reflects a respect spiritual connection between the Tiki, the material and the wearer.
Joel has also featured in books such as Te Hei Tiki by Dougal Austin and The Jewellery Book By Melanie Grant.
Maximus Parkinson
Senior Carver
Hoamai te waka tapu ō mataatua ki Aotearoa nei
Tu mai ra te Mauna tapu ō Whanakoa
Kei raro ki ngā wai ō te taonga ō Raukokore
Ki te kainga ō taku iwi ko Te Whanau-Ā-Apanui
Te Whanau-Ā-Kahu tu mai ra
Ko taku patuwatawata ko Pahaoa
Growing up Max would spend time with his father, Vaughan who was also a carver, at his workshops in Waihi and Whakarewarewa Village.
Beginning his own journey at Rākai Jade in 2020, Max was influenced by other carvers like Lewis and Joel, whose styles and approaches helped shape his development. His own carving style leans towards the contemporary and modern, though he aspires to fuse more traditional elements into his mahi. He finds satisfaction in completing pieces and pride when he sees people wearing his work.
He recognises it as both as a personal achievement and a continuation of his dads legacy, which he hopes to carry forward.
Sidney Rongo Te Wharau Tamaiti
Senior Carver
Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Makino, Ngāti Hari, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa, Ngāti Tamatera, Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Uepohatu me Te Aitanga ā Hauiti
He rau ō Tai, He kakahi ā Hinehopu.
From a young age, Sidney carried a deep passion for Māori art. In 2014, he began his journey under renewed pounamu artist Lewis Gardiner at Rākai Jade. That foundation led to his acceptance into the prestigious Whakairo Wānanga at NZMACI/ Te Puia in 2018, where he trained in traditional Māori wood carving.
Graduating in 2021, Sidney went on to contribute to projects with various iwi and hāpu including his own. His practice now spans across whakairo, pounamu and tā moko, a grounded firmly in traditional forms while exploring a contemporary expression of ancestral art.
Through his work, he seeks to honour the legacy of those who came before him, carrying tradition forward with respect and intention.
Ka mua, ka muri.