HE TOI WHAKAIRO HE MANA TANGATA

Located in Rotorua | Aotearoa, Toi Nikorima is a premier studio operated by Isaiah Karaitiana and Sa’hayla Harden, specialising in crafting high-end whakairo rākau | Māori wood carvings.

Our work draws on the revered traditions of our tūpuna | ancestors to create exquisite and intricate pieces, catering to discerning clients who seek to celebrate significant life events such as anniversaries, milestones or personal achievements, with unparalleled craftsmanship.

Our whakairo rākau serve as distinguished gifts for high-profile individuals, dignitaries and those involved in the continuous journey of preserving and perpetuating tikanga Māori and iwi kaupapa. Each piece is meticulously crafted to reflect a high level of artistry and authenticity.

We are dedicate to producing bespoke whakairo rākau designed to be timeless taonga, passed down through generations as symbols of whakapapa | genealogy, and cultural integrity.

Please feel free to browse our selection of available taonga for purchase or fill out our tono form to see how we can encapsulate your personal or collective story with unparalleled elegance and craftsmanship.

THE INTEGRITY OF ONES CHARACTER IS SEEN IN WHAT THEY PRODUCE

View fullsize HEI NIHO PARĀOA 🐋 Kia ora e te whānau, as we come to the end of 2024, I have a few pendants available for purchase. I wanted to showcase the beauty of Tāne in a wearable form by creating these intricately designed taonga fashioned from one of our
View fullsize HEI NIHO ARAWA 🦈 Kia ora e te whānau, as we come to the end of 2024, I have a few pendants available for purchase. I wanted to showcase the beauty of Tāne in a wearable form by creating these intricately designed taonga fashioned from one of our s
View fullsize Pendant currently in progress 🦈 I have some free time now since my darling and I have completed Te Rōnakitanga taumata rima for this year, meaning that over the next few weeks I can work on a few small pieces in between larger projects. This is on
View fullsize Kia ora e te whānau 🍃 We have a change of scenery from the ngāhere but the taonga asked for it so here we have it. I had the privilege of working on this hoe a few weeks ago for an amazing private comission. I worked on this taonga alongside the
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View fullsize Ko “Te Ara o Nuktāwhiti” te ingoa o tēnei taonga i mutua e au e toru ngā wiki i muri. I had the privilege of working on this private commission three weeks ago for an amazing wahine who wanted to etch the whakapapa of her hoa rangatira in
View fullsize PROCESS [ˈprəʊses] noun 1. a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end. #toinikorima #nnzica #maori #maoriart #polynesian #polynesianart #indigenous #indigenousart #whakairo #carving #rakau #wood #woodcarving
View fullsize He wahaika tuarua tēnei… this taonga was a chance to play around with an upoko manaia commonly seen from Ngāti whātua upwards in a tekoteko form. I had fun mixing and matching designs to showcase different executions of whakarae on these figu
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View fullsize Kia Ora e te whānau 🍃 He wahaika tuatahi tēnei mō tōku kaupapa nui o tēnei tau. It’s the first time I’ve carved a wahaika with a full figure since I graduated from NZMACI several years ago. After a few years of refining my technical ex
View fullsize Kia ora e te whānau 🍃 He tewhatewha tēnei mō te kaupapa nui i kōrero au i ērā mārama. I had the privilege of completing this tewhatewha a few weeks ago as part of a set I’ve been working on over the year. Both sides speak of kōrero shared ma

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