My name is Brett Sutherland and I was born and raised in Aotearoa (New Zealand). I am a self-taught carver, starting at the age of 16 in the traditional Maori art of bone carving. I kept this as a hobby for 13 years, before turning professional in 1997. My subjects include a variety of Maori and other tribal styles, as well as a lot of contemporary design and netsuke carvings. After completing a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Zoology, I spent the next 12 years travelling and working around the world. This brought me into contact with many different tribal peoples, from Africa to Alaska, exposing myself to their art, materials and tools. This was a great experience in cultural exchange. I carve in a wide range of materials - from fossilised mammoth ivory (10,000-60,000 years old), mammoth and bison leg bone, whale ivory and bone (when made available), wild boar tusk, moose and deer antler, and leg bones from giraffe, eland, zebra, gnu, elk, moose, bear, dog and cow. My carvings are displayed in galleries in Auckland, Vancouver, Toronto, and the Caribbean. And they are now worn worldwide by an incredible variety of people. For the more exotic materials like Mammoth Ivory, I prefer to carve completely without the use of power tools, instead using only hand tools as a respect for the ancient medium. This also adds a different energy to the finished piece. Many of the carvings are done from individual orders, making the computer a helpful tool, enabling designs to be scanned and emailed for quotes etc. After five years back in New Zealand working in the film industry, carving and creating garden sculptures, I am now residing in Toronto, Canada, and about to study the art of tattooing. I hope you enjoy the photos in the gallery, and please contact me (+599 580 5551) for any further information, orders etc. Brett.