Louis Chretien

I am a young artist born in 1998 in Cambodia. Orphan at birth, I was adopted and raised in Paris, France.
In 2013 I followed my mother to her native New Zealand and since then I have been living and working in Auckland.. There, I discovered the culture of my mother’s ancestors whose great, great grandmoter, Erena Pareraukawa (1825-1900) was a Maori princess. Her ancestors had come to Aotearoa in the Tainui canoe. She married a Frenchman, Louis Dihars, around 1845.
I discovered the richness and beauty of the Maori culture and chose to learn wood carving to combine my love for the wood with my passion for the culture of the Maori people, their understanding of nature, the value they give to family and ancestors.

I studied Maori Visual Arts during 3 years at Te Wananga O Aotearoa under the tutelage of Cory Boyd and Bob Te Huia.

I have not participated in any exhibitions yet. In 2018 I worked for the Junior Junction kindergartens and many of my pieces are displayed in their classrooms and playgrounds.
I also now have a few pieces displayed in private properties in France and New Zealand.