Stephen Myhre

INSPIRED BY CULTURE
Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand

Stephen Myhre has been carving for as long as Ornament Magazine has existed. While he started in wood carving, he since has become primarily a stone and bone carver. Having studied with Tongan carvers, Myhre has a solid background in traditional Polynesian techniques. It is this rootedness in tradition, combined with his own innate sense of the spiritual essence of carving, that leads to sublime and startling forms where the least number of lines contribute to graceful, powerful pendants and rings.

Our family has known the Myhres for over two decades, and Steve and his wife Mary-Anne were regular and welcome visitors to the Ornament office. Steve would bring his wrapped blankets filled with pendants and earrings, unroll them, and my mother would go through them, savoring the taste and elegance of each piece. She purchased many pieces of Myhre’s jewelry, and he is one of the most well represented artists in her collection.