Kia ora e te whānau

We are Isaiah Karaitiana (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) and Sa’hayla Harden (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāi Tahu), the ambitious couple behind Toi Nikorima.

Toi Nikorima was created from our shared desire to reconnect with our culture and reclaim our identities as tangata Māori. We both grew up on different ends of the country (Rotorua, Waihōpai), and although we were raised differently, we both grew largely disconnected from our taha Māori.

Isaiah’s journey led him to attending the illustrious Te Wananga Whakairo Rākau o Aotearoa (The New Zealand National Māori Wood Carving School) where he studied Māori wood carving as a means to reconnect to his culture through the ancient craft.

Sa’hayla’s journey led her to Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka (Otago University) where she studied Indigenous Development and Sociology to understand Māori models that could eventually contribute to the betterment of Māori whānau.

After completing our studies and personal journeys, we came together to create Toi Nikorima, a pakihi based around crafting premium taonga Māori for people seeking high end mahi | work.

Our philosophy when creating taonga is to articulate intangible personal stories into physical forms, serving as manifestations of whakapapa, mātauranga, and taonga tuku iho.

Our ventures have provided us with numerous opportunities to collaborate alongside distinguished individuals within te ao Māori, iwi nationwide, local councils, large corporations, and international partners to create and showcase the beauty of whakairo rākau.