Luke Gardiner

Maori

Luke Gardiner is one of New Zealand’s top Pounamu carvers. He is a native “West Coaster”, as he and his family before him have always lived on the rugged west coast of New Zealand’s South Island.

Luke is a highly respected member of the Westland arts community and is involved, along with Peter Bishop and several other carvers, in promoting the craft and encouraging the youth of his community to continue the skills and ideals associated with it.

Luke works in many types of jade and his signature pieces are the sometimes very elaborate twists which he has become famous for around the country. Like all of the top artists, he strives to show the beauty within the stone and to work with it rather than just carving shapes from it.

Luke mixes the traditional and modern styles in way that is very unique and reflects his own mixed cultural background.