Kerry Thompson - Ngāti Pāoa has been carving for over twenty-five years and has established his position as one of New Zealand’s leading Māori artists. In 1992 he was a jade tutor for the Whangaroa Trust in Kaeo, North of Auckland.
Kerry recieved a grant through Te Waka Toi (Māori Arts Board of Creative New Zealand) in 1994, and has since been self-employed.
Kerry has developed an immediately recognizable style of work that includes his signature two-tone bone staining process. He works with many materials, including cattle bone, whale bone, mother of pearl, pounamu, wood, silver, semi-precious stones glass and print making.