Artist introduction:

Mako was born in the city of Auckland and raised on Aotea/Great Barrier Island, an environment of pristine beaches and native bush. Mako believes being raised this way has helped him to understand his connection to nature. Located off the east coast of Aotearoa/New Zealand, it is isolated and off grid.

He was raised by his mother, Frances Whitworth. A skipper, navigator, an architect of buildings and boats, and one of his greatest inspirations. From her side his ancestry connects to the Boyd and Royal Stuarts clans of Scotland, and the Whitworth family of England.

From his Fathers side he connects to the iwi (tribes) of Te Rarawa, Ngati Whatua, and Tainui. His grandparents lived in Mitimiti, Hokianga, on the west coast te Tai Tokerau/Northland, Decended from Nga Kuru Penehare and has connection to the Loza family from Yugoslavia.

pepeha o te whanau o Nga Kuru Pene Hare

ko Mamari, Tinana nga waka

Ko Terarawa, Ngati Whatua, Tainui nga iwi

Ko Hoko Keha te hapu

Ko Hione te urupa

Ko Tarakeha te maunga

Ko Moetangi te awa

Ko Taikarawa te Moana

Ko Matihitihi Te marae 

Ko tu Moana te whare Nui

He states that "Whakapapa is how things relate to each other, it is genealogy, a connection to our tupuna/ancestors, it is how we connect to the environment, nga Atua, and IO". It is from his family cultural connections that much of Mako's work draws inspiration. Mataurunga maori being the narratives for many of his pieces.

Life he says is one of his mediums. "I am a carver of skin and stone, wood and bone, time and space, and the pathway to the inner space".  It is our life experiences that shape us, that carve us into who and what we are.

From a young age, his mother encouraged his creativity.  Always drawing at school, all over his books and classmates, he soon become the bane of his teachers, all except his art teacher.

He was also very connected to the ocean being raised right on the beach. Island life means swimming and diving as often as possible, free diving from 3 years old and eventually scuba diving at 13. Training as a dive-master, and then as a commercial diver he worked several years in the dive industry until eventually becoming a scuba instructor. After which he worked on the Great Barrier Reefs of Australia as a guide and underwater photographer. 

Change came to his life through what he calls his spiritual awakening. He gave up his previous life to paint, live in tents, study yoga and cleanse his mind and body. It is through the study of yoga, he believes that he was prepared for what was to come.

At the meditation/retreat centre of Kawaipurapura he met "Matua Louis" the communities kaumatua, a tohunga whakairo, who also painted, taught te reo maori and taiaha. it was Matua who saw something else in Mako.

Mako tells the story of Matua... "One day he came to me, and sat me down. He started to tell me this story of when he was young, and how he wanted to do ta moko. He said he started to learn how to use machines, but one day he went to meditate on it. He had a vision and knew it was not his work to ta moko. He was a carver, a healer, but not to moko....and then he says "you need to take this book I have been writing, it has the stories of mataora and niwareka....You are supposed to be doing ta moko....but take this book and meditate on it" .....I'm like "what....moko like on your face"....I had no idea about it then. So he gives me this book. places it in my hands, and I feel this charge of energy flow to my heart, and then I knew what my purpose was.

Years earlier, on his 20th birthday his mum had gifted Mako a tattoo machine. It sat for 4 years untouched and rusting. Eventually his friends encouraged him to try it and doing it once he says he was so scared of it he didn't do it again. He believes his mum somehow knew what was to come, and it was Matua that woke him up to this purpose.

Several years of drawing and traveling the country, owning only that which he carried, took him through many creative communities. One such place was Arts Unique, Marahau, a place of sculptures and gardens, carvings in wood, stone and pounamu. The owner "Woody" gave Mako a job as kaitiaki, and a studio space to work on his drawing and tattooing. 

Eventually this work got him accepted into "Toihoukura" the prestigious contemporary Maori art school, in Gisborne. This school specialises in contemporary Maori art and covers many mediums including, kapahaka, moteatea, waiata and karakia to start the day. Mokopu/drawing, Uku/clay, raranga/weaving, waituhi/painting and tamoko/tattoo, taonga puoro/musical instruments.

This was Makos first full emersion into a Maori schooling environment and he stayed for 3 years. His Tutors were Erina Koopu, Christina Wirihana, Steve Gibbs and Dereck Lardelli. With many guest artist coming for wananga including: Manos Nathen, Wi Tiepa, Carla Ruka teaching uku/clay. Shane Cotton, Waituhu/painting. Demsey Bob, a Northwest coast carver. Richard Nunns and Horomono ,taonga puoro. Dan Mcgrath, Mark Kopua, Richie Francis ,ta Moko.

"I have met so many incredibly creative people in my life, and they have all inspired me in some way"

After achieving a Bachelor of Arts at Toihoukura, Mako has since done a residency at "The Quarry" arts centre in Whangarei, taking part in different local exhibitions. Also in Whangarei, Mako worked at Memory Lane Tattoo, with artists Earnest Bradley, Devon Tucker, Victor te Paa and Quincy Mike.

Mako has achieved a diploma in "Whakairo" through te Wananga o Aotearoa, one of only three indigenous universities in the world. This takes place at Hihiaua, the carving sheds of the tohunga whakairo te Warahi Hetaraka, and through marae based Noho at Kaka Porowini marae. His kaiako was Korotangi Kapa Kingi, with the main focus being on Pukaea/trumpet.