Jon Jeet ( Ngāti Maniapoto, Fijian Indian) holds a Masters in Painting from Ilam School of Fine Arts, University of Canterbury. He is also a registered Ngāi Tahu carver of pounamu and has taught art at secondary and tertiary institutions, as well as in the wider community-particularly through his kaupapa, Tūhono Taonga, Tūhono Tāngata, founded with his wife Irihāpeti Mahuika.
Jon is well-known at The Central Art Gallery for his wearable pounamu toki and larger sculptures. Having spent over a decade honing his craft, Jon finds, in particular, 'the toki encapsulates the mauri of one's being and becomes a vessel to retain and harbour part of one's life force.'
When cutting into pounamu, the meditative sound of the grinder against the stone sets up a rhythm for Jon, 'time stops and you are just one with that stone.' Next comes the process of sanding, coarsely and then finely, to bring out the wairua of the stone. He will then either drill directly into, or cut small wedges at each side, to bind or thread his beautifully plaited cord to the pounamu toki. Of the stone, Jon says 'just looking at it, there is that myriad of colours and imagery, that abstract imagery that you find in the raw stone whilst you're shaping it. When it leaves this place, someone is going to look at this and revere it and regard it as taonga.'
Jon has found similar abstract imagery in many of the 223 toki he has carved for his impressive body of work, Ngā toki o Four Square, 2024-'(i)n celebration of Four Square supermarket's centennial anniversary, I embarked on a nationwide journey to create a unique tribute. Visiting all 223 store locations, I collected rocks from nearby areas and crafted toki forms, symbolising the significance of these community hubs. Through this project, I gained insight into the vital role Four Square plays in rural communities. Beyond mere convenience, these supermarkets serve as lifelines fostering connection and support. Upon completing Ngā toki o Four Square, I've had numerous encounters with individuals sharing fond memories of their local Four Square. This project highlights the importance of Kiwiana, such as Cheeky Charlie, in shaping our national identity and sense of community.'
With an ever-present interest in tool-making, Jon's 2022 work Braided Rivers-made from rusted steel-draws from a larger steel work of a freestanding toki which he created as part of the 2022 season for SCAPE Public Art. Both steel works comment on the introduction of steel for the manufacture of tools and replacing the traditional material of stone.
Working across mediums, Jon's drawing Art New Zealand volume 28-33 was a finalist in the 2020 Parkin Drawing Prize, and a woodcut print edition entitled, I know this to be true, visual contents page, is based on the same drawing.
Jon has also carved larger pounamu pieces-such as his 2018/19 self-portrait entitled Hone-where he references the Māori tradition of Toi moko, or mokomokai. His 2017 work, He Achuelian Angaanga, is a stunning skull carved and polished from a large piece of pounamu. Its colours and title refer to the archaeological history of human stone tool manufacturing defined by oval and pear shaped 'hand-axes.'
Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu: principal Māori iwi of Te Waipounamu South Island
pounamu: greenstone
toki: adze
mauri: essence
wairua: spirit
Hone: John
Toi moko, or mokomokai: the preserved heads of Māori where the faces have been decorated by tā moko tattooing.