“Art and jewellery making is a medium by which I can communicate my heritage to both local and global audiences. I seek to nurture and encourage others through my work, by way of my actions and choices as an artist.”

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Keri-Mei Zagrobelna is a full time jeweller and artist, including mahi as a jewellery tutor and arts mentor. She also explores other creative forms, including murals, sculpture, photography, installations, and research. She is based in Wellington Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

Her work straddles the boundaries of adornment and visual art, always seeking to be unique, expressive, and beautiful. Coming from her practice as a contemporary Māori jeweller, her pieces for personal adornment speak to her experience and upbringing.

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Keri-Mei comes from a background entwined in museums and art, worlds in which both her grandmother and mother worked. Her iwi affiliations are Te Āti Awa and Whānau-ā-Apanui. In 2012, she graduated from Whitireia with a BaPPa in visual arts. She has exhibited and lectured extensively in Aotearoa New Zealand and abroad. She brings her warmth and energy to public talks, lectures, and workshops.

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