ABOUT · MAKING OF SERIES · TEKOTEKO / TIKI
The making of
Tekoteko / Tiki
A freestanding Tekoteko in traditional Hauraki style — carved from 1.5 tonnes of Ōamaru limestone.
FORM
Memorial headstone
STARTING WEIGHT
1.5 tonne block
STONE
Ōamaru limestone
THE PROCESS
From sketch to completion
Click any image to open the full sequence.
THE STORY
"The sheer size presented the first of many challenges — starting with a 1.5 tonne block, gradually removing stone to reveal the Tekoteko within."
This headstone was designed by Lucas Thompson — Brett's second collaboration with him, and in many ways the most ambitious. The design called for a freestanding Tekoteko in traditional Hauraki style, a form that demands not just technical skill but a deep respect for the tradition it comes from.
The scale alone was a formidable starting point. A block of Ōamaru limestone weighing one and a half tonnes sat waiting — and everything that would become the Tekoteko was already inside it. The work was one of progressive revelation: removing stone carefully, deliberately, until the figure emerged.
At the heart of the design sits the plaque — not bolted on or added after, but held within the kupenga, the net, and cradled by the Tekoteko itself. The plaque is part of the piece, not a label on it.
The result is one of the most structurally and culturally complex pieces Brett has carved — a memorial that carries tradition, scale, and personal meaning in equal measure.
ABOUT THE NAME
The piece takes its name from the form itself — Tekoteko / Tiki, a freestanding carved figure in traditional Hauraki style. The name describes what it is, and honours the tradition it comes from.
DESIGN ELEMENTS
The Tekoteko
A freestanding carved figure in traditional Hauraki style — the central form of the piece, carved from a 1.5 tonne block of Ōamaru limestone.
The kupenga
The net design — carved into the Tekoteko and used to hold and cradle the memorial plaque within the figure itself.
THE MATERIAL
Ōamaru limestone is a soft, warm New Zealand stone — hand-carved, not machined. It weathers beautifully outdoors and holds fine detail with care.
Available for delivery locally or shipped professionally anywhere in New Zealand or internationally.
The plaque
Held within the kupenga and cradled by the Tekoteko — an integral part of the piece, not an addition to it.
BRETT KENO · SCULPTOR · NEW ZEALAND