Mōkau Bone carving Symposium organiser Mike Brown (left) admires a carving of Waitomo bone carver Bex Stubbs. Photo: John Robertson
Mōkau has put on another masterclass for bone carvers at the latest Firstgas Mōkau Bone carving Symposium over Easter weekend.
Around 60 novice to expert carvers from across the country filled the Mōkau Hall to learn, create and connect at the free symposium that has been an annual event since 2017.
Headlining the weekend were masterclasses in seven specialist areas: setting paua eyes into carvings, design process, 3D carvings, hand tool maintenance, carving as a spiritual language, lashing and electrical tools of the trade.
Symposium organiser Mike Brown said the masterclasses gave carvers at all levels the chance to improve and grow their skills and knowledge of the art.
“We’re seeing carvers who’ve been coming for a few years picking up these tips, really developing in the quality of their carvings. This was one of the goals of this symposium was to bring people from beginner carvers and teach them the skills to make high quality work,” Brown said.
One of the great moments of the event was at the carver’s dinner on Sunday night, where eight novice carvers presented their carvings to the group.
“That’s where we celebrate the weekend, the unity of the people, the love of bone carving, just a really joyful time,” Mr Brown said.
“Each of (the beginner carvers) all made one or two beautiful carvings they were most proud of, and they presented those carvings to the symposium at the end to great applause.”
While a range of bone types are used in bone carving circles, most carvers brought cow bone and deer antlers to carve at the symposium due to how accessible they are.
While Māori cultural has strong ties to bone carving, r Brown said part of the richness for carvers at the symposium was the variety of cultures and backgrounds.
“There’s sometimes an assumption that bone carving is a traditional Māori design, and it is for some people, but other people have a different background and they’ll be carving something that might relate to their own culture,” he said.
“It could be northern European or Asian and some people are doing abstract contemporary designs. That’s all encouraged here, it’s the diversity in the room that makes it’s so interesting.”
Mōkau Bone carving Symposium organiser Mike Brown (left) admires a carving of Waitomo bone carver Bex Stubbs. Photo: John Robertson
