A GIFTED CARVER

Master carver James Rickard has been part of the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute since he enrolled in the first carving school intake in 1967. Rickard has not only dedicated decades of his life teaching the traditional Māori art form, but he has also been instrumental in creating hundreds of bespoke pieces that now hold pride of place around the world. 

We had the chance to sit down with this master carver to talk about his craft, what it means to be a carver in Aotearoa and around the world and where he sees the future of carving. 

This is his story. Indigenous 100 – James Rickard