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With deep rumbling voice and flowing white hair, Mike Tavioni ismore than an artist — he is a living vessel of Cook Islands culture, a storyteller whose tools are chisel, brush and ink. A master carver, painter, poet and cultural guardian, Mike has spent half a century shaping not just wood and stone, but the soul of his people.

Anchored in ancestral knowledge and driven by an intense pride in his heritage, Mike’s work is bold, unapologetic, and deeply layered. His hands revive the old ways — carving stories that breathe life into legends and preserve the voices of our forebears for generations yet to come.

It was Mike who first taught our founder Ellena the block printing technique that she would go on to utilise in the creation of TAV — and he has carved many more boards in the decades since, drawing on his innate understanding of traditional motifs and technique. Recognised around the Pacific and beyond but with feet planted firmly in the Cook Islands, Uncle Mike’s mission is one of preservation, empowerment and reclamation — proving that art is not just decoration, but declaration.

Humble pillar of the TAV family, Henry Tavioni is a craftsman, mentor and keeper of tradition who leads with his heart — backed up with an eye for detail and a head full of knowledge.

A passionate advocate for Cook Islands culture, Henry is often called upon to guide traditional protocol or prepare ceremonial items for special cultural events. He provides ongoing restoration services for the Cook Islands Library Museum, trials and tests ancient woodworking techniques, and has visited museums around the world to study Pacific artifacts.

Thoughtful and patient, Henry also mentors emerging artists in carving and peu Mäori (Mäori customs and culture), and is currently developing an apprenticeship programme to ensure the values, skills and creativity of our ancestors endure.

A quiet force behind the scenes, Henry’s steady expertise has played a foundational role in both the TAV brand and the Tavioni arts legacy. Uncle Henry represents the strength of tradition — carried not for recognition, but for the love of culture, family, and the enduring spirit of the Pacific.

Like his brothers Mike and Henry, the late Taputu ‘Tang’ Tavioni was an artist always forging his own path.

As a renowned Cook Islands cartoonist, he could skewer wayward politicians with just a few strokes of his pen and a razor wit. As a radio announcer and DJ he was hilarious and irrepressible, larger than life — the definition of a man marching to a drumbeat all his own. And as a carver his love for his culture and his people took on physical form in the artworks he produced — every line and shape a reflection of the spirit and strength of his heritage.

Roaring along on his motorbike in ripped jeans and a frayed denim vest he was a fearsome sight, but also gentle and generous — a mentor and teacher unafraid to speak up on behalf of others.

Taken from us too soon, Uncle Taputu lives on in the hearts of our TAV anau and as a thread in the greater fabric of Cook Islands creativity — joyful, fierce and free.

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. 

Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. 

Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. 

Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.