Adrian 'Rangi' Wills

Bone Carving has been practiced throughout the Pacific for a very long time. Rangi Wills, with tribal affiliation to the Tainui Iwi and Ngati Amaru of Port Waikato, stands out as one of the few bone carving specialists across Aotearoa New Zealand. He started his carving journey as an apprentice under the guidance of Bill Rawhiti in Auckland back in 1988, when he was just sixteen years old.
Since that time, Gallery Pacific has proudly showcased a selection of his remarkable pieces. What sets his traditional Maori Carvings apart are his finely detailed surface decorations. This touch gives his creations an energetic and powerful feel, making them truly special.

Carving process

Bone Carving relies on clean and sound material that is carefully processed by the carver to remove any impurities. Bone for carving can easily be sourced as a by-product of New Zealand's dairy industry, or in rare instances sun bleached and weathered whale bone can be found on our coastline, the remnants of whale stranding. Rangi Wills knowledge of traditional Maori design informs his sketching directly onto the material to be carved. The carving is performed with fine tools, including saws, chisels, and fine electric burrs. Iridescent Paua Shell is inlaid into the carving to accentuate the eyes, and finally a platted cord is fitted to enable the piece to be worn.

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