The son of a carver John Junior grew up surrounded by jade.  His father’s natural enthusiasm and encouragement inspired John to spend weekends and school holidays learning to carve in his Rotorua workshop.  Spending time in this collective studio exposed him to a wide range of influences not to mention some of the best carving in the country. The impression left by these early, formative experiences convinced John to begin working with Jade full-time when he was 17.

John’s career since then has seen him travelling to Canada to work in the Jade mines of British Colombia.  He worked as in-store carver in a Jade gallery in ­Queenstown and has travelled to Sapporo, Japan to participate in a large carving festival there.

During this time he has also developed his own unique style.  A visual language that draws from his Irish and English heritage while also being heavily influenced by Maori tradition.  Traditional Maori and Celtic design forms a beginning point for John to make work that reflects his own experience and the world around him.

John works at the Jade Factory in Rotorua, NZ.  His work can be found around the country and in 2007 he made work for Germany’s largest jewellery trade fair, ‘Inhorgenta’.  He is currently making work for a show being held in Beijing, China in November 2008.