TODD DOUGLAS

CERAMIC SCULPTURIST

Todd Douglas is a sculptor and ceramist of Ngāpuhi (Ngāti Manu, Te Mahurehure), a pākehā (Scottish, Welsh descent) based in Muriwai, Aotearoa.

Raised in a family of boat-builders, Todd’s hands learned craft early, shaping tools of the sea, then shaping forms of clay. He is primarily self-taught and his work explores the transformation of materials, the meeting of land, fire and form.

As one of the makers of the collectible tekoteko vessel for Tī-Toki, Todd shapes more than clay. He shapes guardianship and story. His glazes and surface treatments, developed alongside his partner Karuna, carry subtle references to land, craft and the elements.

To work with clay is to be transformed by it; “You can’t force uku / clay. You have to allow it to change and become. And through that process, you come to learn and understand more about yourself.”

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KARUNA DOUGLAS

CERAMIC & GLAZE ARTIST

“Through the clay, I find not only what the material must become, but what I become.”

Karuna Douglas is a ceramic artist and glaze specialist based in Muriwai, Aotearoa. Her work brings together ancestry and land; clay as memory, glaze as language.

As a member of Ngā Kaihanga Uku, the Māori clay artists’ collective, Karuna has been warmly embraced for her depth of craft and respect for tikanga, while being mentored by the late Colleen Waata Urlich ONZM. Working alongside her husband, sculptor Todd Douglas, she co-creates the collectible tekoteko vessel that holds Tī-Toki.

Each form is shaped from local clay, fired and glazed by hand, guided by wairua (spirit) and intention. The result is both artwork and vessel, a meeting place of culture, craft and care.

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BLAIR NICHOLL

MASTER DISTILLER

Blair Nicholl is the master-distiller and co-founder of The National Distillery Company.

Under his watch, his company has earned international acclaim, including multiple trophies in Aotearoa, and gold medals nationally and overseas. It is fast becoming known as New Zealand’s most awarded distillery.

Blair’s philosophy holds that making fine spirits is not just about flavour, but about place, story and responsibility. He practices kaitiakitanga; guardianship over land and tradition, ensuring what is drawn from the whenua is honoured through craft and returned through respect.

In this, his work aligns beautifully with the story of Tī‑Toki: spirits born of this land and crafted with care.