Ngaroma Riley

Ngaroma Riley

Ngaroma Riley is an artist and people connector of Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, and Pākehā descent. A founder of Te Ana o Hine, a wahine-led carving shed based at Te Tuhi in Tāmaki Makaurau, Ngaroma began her carving journey making Buddhist statues while working in Japan. Since returning to Aotearoa in 2020, she has completed a Certificate in Whakairo at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Ngaroma’s work and research centres on Māori narratives, with a focus on retelling whānau, hapū, and iwi stories through a wahine Māori lens. In 2022, she built a storehouse for a public installation in Kaitaia. She is known for her karetao (hand-carved puppets) and love of chainsaws.