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Leonati Motuliki Master Carver

Leonati Motuliki, a master wood & bone carver, sold his carvings to tourists at the local market in Neaifu, Vava’u.  He worked from his home carving studio at ‘Utulangivaka in Vava’u. Leonati passed away in August 2016. Tonga has lost a great man, a skillful artist and a true gentleman, however his art will live on.

Artistry runs in Leonati Motuliki's family. It was his father, a jeweller and a farmer, who first noticed Leonati's own creative talent when the young boy started carving small three dimensional sea creatures out of turtle shell and mother of pearl. Fakatava Motuliki quietly took and sold these pieces at the market in Vava'u in order to buy supplies to encourage the budding artist.

Having discovered oil painting at the age of twelve, Leonati later left the island group of Vava'u to pursue an education in art at the College of Nuku'alofa. Here, Leonati specialised in painting. However on returning to Vava'u he reverted once again to carving, the creative skill that started his journey into artistry.

Leonati's skill and artistry are renowned not just in the Kingdom of Tonga, but internationally as well with his work featuring in collections across Europe and America. His well travelled international clients were quick to recognise the quality of the intricate work produced by this Tonga Master Carver.

Career highlights for Leonati include:

• 1978 - Invited to display his work and share his skills at the Art Festival of Hawaii.
• 1981 - Commissioned by the Royal Family of Tonga to create a unique gift for the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer (Using black coral, he carved a delicate nest with two birds alighting to feed their young and mounted it on a base of Tongan sandalwood).
• 2008 - Inducted into the Order of Queen Salote Tupou at the coronation of King George Tupou V in recognition of his contributions to the arts in Tonga.
• 2010 - Travelled to Shanghai, China, to participate in the World Expo as a Tonga Master Carver (Leonati's wife, Liliane, joined him as a demonstrator of Tongan tapa and woven items).