Kia ora tatou, I hope 2024 is shaping up to be a year filled with clay for you all.

I am based in Ōtepoti, Dunedin but am really keen to hear from anyone in the Otago / Southland region, so please do get in touch, especially if you have any events or projects you would like shared.

I hope everyone gets a chance to check out ‘Ngā Kaihanga Uku: Māori Clay Artists’, by Baye Riddell. It is my favourite book of the summer – if your local library doesn’t have a copy already – ask them to buy one!

From the publisher, Te Papa Press: ‘This book is the first comprehensive overview of Māori claywork, its origins, loss and revival. Richly illustrated, it introduces readers to the practices of the five founders of Ngā Kaihanga Uku and also surveys the work of the next generation’.

I am primarily a hand builder who loves the feeling of clay on my hands, how the time spent with this material can translate into reshaping the physical form. I do also love the tools I use often, so I thought I’d share a few with you.