James Rickard, manager of the carving school at Te Puia, formerly known as the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute in Rotorua, is a very experienced and skilled carver with a deep knowledge of the art form within the Maori cultural heritage and context.

A visiting New Zealand Maori carver, he will hold two-days seminar workshops in Baguio City on Thursday, 27 September at the Baguio Country Club from 2:00 – 4:00 PM and on Friday, 28 September from 2:00 – 4:00 PM at Victor Otaisa Community Arts Space (VOCAS), Top floor, La Azutea, 108 Session Road, Baguio City.

“Carving is grounded in preserving whakapapa – through whakapapa you can go back to the very beginning, to land and to ancestors,” says carver Rickard who believes “carving can be a spiritual journey for those who want it to be.”

“A carver’s role in Maoridom is to be a historian – to capture a moment in history and put it on timber. It’s not just about the end product, it’s about the culture and keeping that alive.”

James is now teaching carving, and seeks to pass on to his students their duty as carvers. “Some people are interested in the end product and money rather than the journey. It’s important to make them understand that within their hands they have the ability to pass on knowledge that was supposed to be dead for a long long time.”

Working at Te Puia, where they educate/inform/entertain many thousands of visitors each year, means that he will also be very experienced at talking with people about the art form and what it all represents.

For more information about New Zealand Maori culture visit the website: www.nzmaori.co.nz

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