Spanning two days, participants will hand-build and shape unique kakano (seeds). Together with Stevei, you’ll explore techniques to mark your kakano with your whakapapa (genealogy) or personal stories. Stevei will also demonstrate her carving techniques and collaborate with each participant to create a truly unique piece.

Stevei Houkāmau places whakapapa at the core of her uku (clay) practice. Her creations, which extend beyond her personal narrative, are interwoven with Māori heritage, the migrations across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa (the Pacific Ocean), and spiritual connections with Atua (deities), exploring the profound link between Atua and tāngata (people).

This workshop will run on Saturday, September 6th, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, and Sunday, September 7th, from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

Tuition for this course is $200.

Meet the artist

Stevei Houkāmau (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) is a Wellington‐based contemporary Māori uku (clay) artist whose work speaks to whakapapa, whenua, and tīpuna. Since 2011, she’s drawn on traditional Māori patterns and narratives to craft sculptural, carved clay forms embodying spiritual and ancestral connection.

Her acclaimed work Kia Whakatōmuri te haere whakamua—a derived lineage piece honouring her great-great-grandmother Hinemaurea—earned her the prestigious 2023 Kiingi Tūheitia Portraiture Award, judged at Pipitea Marae before King Tūheitia.

In March 2025, Stevei represented Aotearoa at Munich Jewellery Week through KOHĀ Moana—a collaborative activation with Neke Moa and Sofia Tekela‐Smith—that explored koha, reciprocity and connection with moana in public adornment performances.

Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally—including FESTPAC (Guahan), various Indigenous art gatherings, and a solo exhibition at Objectspace, Auckland. Stevei was also the inaugural Māori Artist-in-Residence at Toi Pōneke Arts Centre and maintains pieces in public and private collections at home and abroad.