Niki Nepia was raised by his grandparents in Ruatāhuna in Te Urewera. As a teenager he became interested in carving pounamu and has since built an international career in the art.
After learning Māori carving skills, he travelled to China to learn bowl-form carving.
Originating in China, this ancient style is rarely seen in New Zealand. But it will be on display at the Chinese Fashion Show in Rotorua this weekend.
Nepia has also designed 20 pendants for the show.
"The theme I've used is a combination between Māori and Chinese," he said. "I'm using beads for the necklaces with a New Zealand pendant - it could be a tiki, a koru, a toki."