Collection: Karaitiana Akroyd

Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri

Karaitiana Akroyd has been a stone carver for over 8 years. He is extremely dedicated to his craft, regularly working seven days per week, as carving rarely feels like work. 

Seeking a creative outlet to balance his work supporting youth, young adults, and families in domestic violence situations, Karaitiana began pounamu carving, which quickly became a medium of creativity, self- care, and gift-giving. Karaitiana now carves a large range of media from Pounamu to various other stones, bone, ivory, and larger scale works.

Karaitiana is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Psychology, shortly undertaking a thesis researching the therapeutic benefits of carving – an area he has experienced firsthand.

More than 25 different artists have helped to guide Karaitiana’s art career thus far, with mentors such as Barry Te Whatu, Lewis Tamihana-Gardiner, Alan Hobbs, and Renate Verbrugge giving the privilege of their guidance.

What he loves most about carving is the ability to capture the essence of a feeling, a situation, or a character, and immortalise that through what he considers the perfect gift.

"I use my outlet of carving as a way of giving back to the world something unique, something positive.