Christopher Carving (Christopher Mitch)

Christopher Carving is the pounamu practice of Christopher Mitch, a Ngāi Tahu accredited carver based in Howick, East Auckland, who works alongside his wife Emma. As an accredited carver under the Ngāi Tahu authentication scheme, Chris has access to authenticated pounamu sourced from the West Coast of the South Island, so buyers can have confidence in where the stone comes from.

Chris is largely self-taught and came to carving later in life, and describes his work as a journey of cultural reconnection. He is guided by a circle of mentors he calls his carving kaumātua, and his approach is rooted in tikanga, treating pounamu as a sacred stone and the carving itself as a spiritual practice as much as a craft.

The couple carve from home in Howick and sell their work at the Howick Village Market every Saturday morning, which is the easiest place to see pieces in person and talk with Chris about the stone and its meaning. They can also be contacted online, and Chris has run hands-on pounamu sessions at community events where visitors shape and string a piece of their own.