Your occupation, job title, artistic discipline (or very brief description of what you do):

I earn my income as a digital entrepreneur in the health and wellness industry, and I also practice rongoā and mirimiri healing. My creative life is rooted in toi Māori, a journey I’ve only been walking for the past three years through my time with Te Whare Wānanga o Aotearoa. My discipline is deeply grounded in Te Ao Māori, whakapapa, hauora, and rongoā – weaving together ancestral knowledge, wellbeing, and toi.

What cities/towns have you lived in (or spent more than a few months in) beginning with the place of your birth?

I was born in Rotorua and, from what I remember, I’ve lived in Taupō, Hamilton, Ōhaupō, Whakatāne, Whanganui, Auckland, Tauranga, and now Te Puke. Each place has shaped me in its own way, from the scent of geothermal steam in Rotorua to the salt of Ōhope Beach in Whakatāne.

What are the earliest stories you remember hearing – the ones that told you about the world? 

Through storybooks, I first met our Atua Māori. I still see the illustrations of Māui slowing the sun, his rope stretched across the page. Through waiata, I learned the stories of Whakatāne where I grew up, and later, each new place I lived brought new waiata that carried its whakapapa and mauri.

I am thankful to have learned Māori creation stories, and of many historical events relevant to different tupuna and places; even after decades upon decades of attempted cultural and language erasure. This taught me that art, and toi are powerful, and that I as a ringatoi have the capacity to shape realities.

What’s your favourite Bay of Plenty landscape, park, building, location, suburb, or side street? Why?

Anything that is natural calls me – my awa such as Kaituna and Waiari, the lakes of Rotorua, the healing embrace of geothermal baths. Our maunga also, Rangiuru, Te Rae o Pāpāmoa, Mauao. Also Ohope Beach where my childhood memories are etched into the sand.

What’s an average day in your life at present?  

Since leaving my corporate job in April 2025, my days have been fluid, unfolding differently each time. Some days I’m at my toi course at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, others I’m in my studio at Ōkahukura developing my art practice. I hold rongoā community clinics, and I’m learning how to use social media as a tool for business. It’s all still new – I’m yet to find my “groove” – but I’m deeply grateful for the life I live.

What’s the one object from your home you would save from a fire?

Without hesitation – my journals, my waiata books, and my whakapapa records. They hold the heartbeat of my life and lineage. They are repositories of stories, thoughts, and histories that connect generations past and future. They are irreplaceable taonga.

What music was present and still memorable from your youth/adolescence? 

My generation and demographic grew up on 90s & 2000s RnB & hiphop, I remember every weekend watching MTV’s Total Request Live on TV which showed popular music videos. We also had NOW CD’s which had the top pop songs of the time.

Our favourite songs though were the ones our parents were playing on their tapes and CD’s – some of my favourite artists from my parents music include the soulful voices of Terrence Trent D’arby, Whirimako Black, Bob Marley, Babyface, Renee Geyer, Tracy Chapman, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. Too many to name.

For you as a creative person, who are three influential artists or thinkers?  

Arohanoa Mathews: my art mentor, and a pioneer in her artistic field, who balances bold, innovative practice with deep connection to Te Taiao and whakapapa. Arohanoa is deeply rooted in community connection in Tauranga Moana. She’s teaches me to have total conviction for myself and for my mahi.

Jordy Elise: my former kaiako at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Her commitment to excellence inspire me to refine my own craft and aim for the highest standard in my work.

Puawai Pulu: a visionary within rongoā space and an incredible community contributor, especially for our kaumatua. She’s taught me to think outside the box, to see the bigger picture, and to ground big dreams in practical steps.

If you went away from the Bay of Plenty for a long time and then came back, what are the first three things you would do or visit?  

Swim in the lakes, rivers, beaches, and geothermal baths. Visit our maunga – Mauao, Te Rae o Pāpāmoa, Rangiuru. And of course, return to my whānau.

Looking back at your teen-age self: what one sentence describes that person?

Displaced from my whānau and navigating hardship, my teenage self was – and will always be – my fierce protector.

What are you planning for 2025 that nobody knows about yet?  

My class and I are preparing for a group exhibition in Katikati in November. This will be my first public exhibition outside of Te Whare Wānanga o Aotearoa. Details for the exhibition are still to be finalised but I am very excited!

In one sentence, can you define creativity? 

Creativity is simply, magic.

Where would you like to live, but have yet to? 

I already live in paradise here in Aotearoa, but Italy calls to me – for the art, the architecture, the history, and yes… the pizza, pasta, and wine. Japan as well for the art, history, culture, and cuisine! Also from what I’ve learned Japan seems very efficient and clean.

What word of advice would you offer an aspiring creative person? 

Your art is not just decoration. It is a force that can heal, provoke, inspire, and transform. Never underestimate its power to shift realities, reimagine the future, and create worlds worth living in.

What is your dream of happiness?

A world where nature thrives, untouched by destruction, where the forests are dense, the waters and air are pure, and the balance of life restored.

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?

My practice is about connection – to whakapapa, to whenua, to people, and to the unseen realms that shape our reality. Everything I create carries the intention of weaving people back to themselves, to each other, and to the natural world.