The Poi Room is the vision of Melanie-Jane (Ngāti Porou) and Clayton.
They wanted to share the wonder of Aotearoa's artists with the world, and make a positive difference to everyone they met.
Not just collectors, but anyone who has ever stood in front of a piece of art and felt something.
That desire hasn't wavered since its genesis.
Melanie-Jane and Clayton met in London last century, in the days before iPhone, TikTok and social media. After satisfying a small portion of their travel bug, they returned to Aotearoa with visions of doing great things for this small but mighty country.
Melanie-Jane is originally from Wellington. Retail has been in her blood from an early age, having helped her maternal grandmother Nancy on the shop floor at Peacocks. After a career in Intellectual Property Law, she felt drawn to helping customers find their perfect purchase once again.
Alongside this, was a yearning to reconnect with her whakapapa. A chance Google search led to an unexpected connection: Ngāti Porou, and Hiruharama Marae just out of Ruatoria. The couple packed up the kids and went. Connection at last.
Clayton was born in Wellington, bred in Auckland. He ran other people's companies before the decision to help direct their own destiny. But how?
They kept returning to their shared love of visiting galleries and artist studios, as their little bungalow filled up with objects of beauty. Savings of $5,000 had been put aside to purchase a fishing dinghy, but then came an epiphany: use it as seed money instead!
With business cards in hand, they loaded the kids into the car and drove around Aotearoa visiting as many artists as possible. They were universally met with enthusiasm.
The Poi seemed a fitting symbol. Always moving, changing direction when it needs to but ultimately being something of beauty, strength and determination.
The Poi Room first opened its doors on 1 November 2007. The first store is now the longest-serving retailer on Osborne Street in Newmarket. Since then they’ve opened a second shop in Ponsonby and expanded the online shop with worldwide shipping.
From emerging artists finding their first audience to pieces travelling to the other side of the world, this is a place where art finds its people.
Poi are a traditional Māori art form, and one of Aotearoa's most recognised cultural taonga.
Weighted balls on a cord, they've been swung, sung to and performed with for generations, spanning music, storytelling, health and ceremony.
Melanie-Jane has fond memories of her Grandmother Kathleen with poi swirling demonstrating her prowess - a proud member of the Maori Woman’s Welfare League.
So, the name felt apt, right from the start.
Poi are always in motion, always changing direction, connecting people and making something beautiful in the process.
That's the spirit woven into the business.
20 years on, people tell us we've become something of an institution.
We'll take that.