Amber Smith
Ceramicist & Printmaker
Whakatū, Nelson
Amber Smith works in ceramics with an approach akin to that of a printmaker etching an intaglio plate. Her imagery and text are intuitively hand-drawn, with intricate details carefully carved back through black slip using a stylus. Working primarily with hand-built hearts, vessels, and bowls, each piece is crafted as a unique artwork without the use of transfers or stencils.
Language plays a central role in her practice. Smith often incorporates words into her work, drawing inspiration from Māori whakataukī (proverbs) and waiata aroha (songs exploring the nature of love). These phrases carry a strong emotional resonance, becoming inseparable from the imagery itself and adding layers of meaning and storytelling to each piece.
Alongside her ceramic practice, Smith also creates limited edition prints, continuing her exploration of mark-making, symbolism, and narrative across mediums.
Limited Edition Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Limited Edition of 100. Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Whaia te iti Kahurangi
~ Seek the treasure you value most dearly
A tui soars high above mountains and sea, the whole world spread out below. This print is about believing in yourself and going after the things that really matter to you — the courage to reach for it, and the faith to keep going when it feels far away.
For anyone stepping into something big, chasing something they've always wanted, or someone in your life you want to send out into the world, knowing they have everything they need - this print is for them.
Limited Edition Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Limited Edition of 100. Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Whakapono Tui
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.
~ Hurihia tō aroaro ki te rā tukuna tō atarangi kia taka ki muri i a koe
Whakapono means faith the quiet trust that things will work out. Tui lift their faces to the sun, joyful, confident, untroubled by what lies behind them. The truth of this whakatauki is that when you choose to face forward, worries, doubts, the hard things we carry, those things fall behind you - Not gone, but no longer leading the way.
For anyone facing something hard, beginning something new, or someone you want to remind that better things are ahead - this print is for them.
Limited Edition Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Limited Edition of 100. Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Kia Kaha Tui - Be Strong
You have come too far, not to go further
You have done too much, not to do more
~ Kua tawhiti kē tō haerenga mai, kia kore e haere tonu. He tino nui rawa ōu mahi, kia kore e mahi nui tonu
Ta Himi Henare (Sir James Henare), Ngati Hine
This print is about the strength you see in yourself and in others - Look at how far you've already come. Look at everything you've already done, that's not nothing - that's everything. And it's reason enough to keep going.
This print is for the moments when you need reminding of your own strength. For anyone facing something hard, stepping into something new, or just needing to hear 'You've got this, keep going.'
Kia kaha. Be strong.
Limited Edition Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Limited Edition of 100. Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Tūmanako Huia
The birds call, the day begins, and I am Alive!
~ Korihi ake ngā manu takiri mai te ata
Ka ao ka ao ka awatea tīhei mauri ora!
Two huia take flight into the soft light of a new dawn. The dawn chorus has always been a signal that the world is beginning again. Whatever yesterday held, today is fresh and new. Tūmanako means hope. A daily reminder that the birds still sing, the sun still rises, and every morning brings with it the chance to begin again.
For a graduation, a wedding, a farewell, or any moment where someone is stepping into something new - this is a print that says the best is still ahead.
Limited Edition Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Limited Edition of 100. Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
You have the wings to fly
~ E āhei ō harihau hei rere mai
Whakatauki (maori proverb)
Birds in full flight, kōwhaiwhai and koru woven through as feathers. Those patterns represent everything learned, everything practiced, everything that prepared them for this moment. The work is done. Now they fly.
This print is for anyone who has done the work. The rangatahi leaving home or finishing school. The person who has quietly rebuilt their life. The one who kept going when it was hard. You have the wings. You always did.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
You Are Loved
~ E arohaina ana koe
Two tui fly above a red kowhaiwhai heart, with the message ~ You are loved, you are valued, and you belong. Playful, strong, and full of song, the tūi bring joy and connection - it's a reminder of love and for anyone who you wish to surround with aroha.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
You Are Loved
~ E arohaina ana koe
Ko te mea nui ko te aroha - love is the most important thing. Aroha is love, care and connection - the things that matter most. This print is a way of telling someone that they are loved, not just on the day you give it, but for every day it hangs on their wall.
For a wedding, a new baby, for home, or someone you want to remind that they are loved, always and forever.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Ngā Whetū O Te Rangi
Let each star in the sky shine its own light
- Tukua kia tū takitahi ngā whetū o te rangi
This print is about being uniquely you. The world is diverse, and it’s inclusion - not sameness - that makes life richer and more interesting. We allow for individuality, we see it as something beautiful to be celebrated. What makes us different is what makes us shine.
The tui are both stars and messengers, reminding us that our strength lies not in sameness, but in the light each of us brings when we shine as ourselves.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
My love for you is greater than all the stars in the sky.
~ Nui atu tōku aroha ki a koe i ngā whetū o te rangi.
Three tui ~ the stars in the sky - Faith, Hope and Love.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
May the sun bring you energy by day,
May the moon softly restore you by night,
May the rain wash away your worries,
May the wind blow new strength into your being.
May you walk on this earth in peace all the days of your life, and know it's beauty forever and ever.
~ Ko tō ngao ki a Tamanuiterā i te ao
Ko tō whakangā ki a Hina i te pō
Ko ō māharahara kia mahea e ngā roimata a Rangi
Ko tō kaha kia purea ki ngā hau a Tawhirimātea
Kia āio ō takahitanga i te nuku o te whenua
i tōna rirerire ake tonu atu
Softly coloured pīwakawaka fly above this karakia, they carry a blessing of energy, renewal, peace, and strength.
A thoughtful gift for weddings, birthdays, new homes, housewarmings, or as a farewell for someone beginning a new journey.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
May the sun bring you energy by day,
May the moon softly restore you by night,
May the rain wash away your worries,
May the wind blow new strength into your being.
May you walk on this earth in peace all the days of your life, and know it's beauty forever and ever.
~ Ko tō ngao ki a Tamanuiterā i te ao
Ko tō whakangā ki a Hina i te pō
Ko ō māharahara kia mahea e ngā roimata a Rangi
Ko tō kaha kia purea ki ngā hau a Tawhirimātea
Kia āio ō takahitanga i te nuku o te whenua
i tōna rirerire ake tonu atu
Some words deserve to be seen every day. This is a blessing for anyone you love, that you move through life in peace and never stop seeing its beauty. In English and te reo Māori, the print asks the great atua: Tamanuiterā the sun, Hina the moon, Rangi the Sky Father (whose tears fall as rain) and Tawhirimātea the god of winds, to look after whoever this is for.
Words you would want to see on your own wall every day - A blessing for someone dear, a friend, a wedding, birthday, a new home or a new beginning.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
May the sun bring you energy by day,
May the moon softly restore you by night,
May the rain wash away your worries,
May the wind blow new strength into your being.
May you walk on this earth in peace all the days of your life, and know it's beauty forever and ever.
~ Ko tō ngao ki a Tamanuiterā i te ao
Ko tō whakangā ki a Hina i te pō
Ko ō māharahara kia mahea e ngā roimata a Rangi
Ko tō kaha kia purea ki ngā hau a Tawhirimātea
Kia āio ō takahitanga i te nuku o te whenua
i tōna rirerire ake tonu atu
Some words deserve to be seen every day. This is a blessing for anyone you love, that you move through life in peace and never stop seeing its beauty. In English and te reo Māori, the print asks the great atua: Tamanuiterā the sun, Hina the moon, Rangi the Sky Father (whose tears fall as rain) and Tawhirimātea the god of winds, to look after whoever this is for.
Words you would want to see on your own wall every day - A blessing for someone dear, a friend, a wedding, birthday, a new home or a new beginning.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Our Hopes and Dreams (Colour)
Don’t go ahead of me or walk behind me, but stand here by my side. Let us share our hopes and dreams.
~ Kaua e whai mai kei mua rānei, engari tū mai ki tōku taha kia tiritiria ā tātou wawata me ngā moemoea
These two tui are side by side, flying together, with a shared vision of their lives ahead. This is a print that speaks of a love that’s steady and sure. Aroha, loyalty, partnership - walking side by side, and choosing each other every day.
A beautiful piece for those who are walking side by side through life.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Our Hopes and Dreams (Black & White)
Don’t go ahead of me or walk behind me, but stand here by my side. Let us share our hopes and dreams.
~ Kaua e whai mai kei mua rānei, engari tū mai ki tōku taha kia tiritiria ā tātou wawata me ngā moemoea
These two tui are side by side, flying together, with a shared vision of their lives ahead. This is a print that speaks of a love that’s steady and sure. Aroha, loyalty, partnership - walking side by side, and choosing each other every day.
A beautiful piece for those who are walking side by side through life.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Aroha Mai ~ Aroha Atu
- Love is received, love is returned
Whakatauki (maori proverb)
Aroha is love. It's affection, caring, kindness and compassion. The Tui in this print are the guardians of that love, flying in a forever cycle of Aroha being given, and Love being returned.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Aroha Mai ~ Aroha Atu
- Love is received, love is returned
This print is about the 'give and take' of aroha - the goodness and love that you put into the world, flowing back to you. Aroha is love, and it's kindness care and compassion. The Tui represent this as they fly in a never ending cycle of love. The love that you give to me, I give back to you.
A beautiful print for a home, a wedding or anniversary, or for someone you love.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Tūmanako - Hope
The birds call, the day begins, and I am alive!
~ Korihi ake ngā manu, takiri mai te ata, Ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea. Tīhei mauri ora.
In this print, three tui soar above mountains and sea, they welcome the new day, filled with energy and renewal. The tui sing, dawn breaks, and life is affirmed - tīhei mauri ora - the breath of life - Each day is a fresh start. The mountains also references the whakataukī:
“Whaia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe, me maunga teitei” Seek out your heart’s desire; if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Kia Hora te Marino
May calm spread all around you, May the sea glisten like greenstone, and the Shimmer of summer dance across your path.
~ Kia hora te marino, Kia whakapapa pounamu te moana, Kia tere kārohirohi i mua i tō huarahi.
This print carries the words of a traditional karakia, one of the most loved in Aotearoa. It calls for the sea to be as greenstone, and for the shimmer of summer light to dance across your path. A blessings for peace, clarity, warmth and beauty to surround you. Koru are protection, kōwhaiwhai patterns weave connection through the image, and tui fly above carrying aroha.
A farewell karakia, this print is for someone beginning a new chapter, or for anyone you want to remind that calm, beauty and connection are always within reach.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Moon Light Dolphin
On a moonlit night, I see in a dream..
~ Pō atarau e moeā iho nei...
Dolphins moving through moonlit water, Marama the moon watching over them from above. Kōwhaiwhai patterns are flowing through their bodies, through the waves, and through the moon herself - it symbolises connection, the threads between people that hold no matter the distance.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Believe in Yourself
~ Mauria te Pono
The butterfly doesn't question whether it's ready. It simply opens its wings and goes. This print is about that moment, the one where you stop waiting for permission and trust what's already inside you. The courage, the love, the strength to grow and to fly.
For anyone standing at the edge of something new, or for someone in your life who just needs reminding of how extraordinary they are - this print is for them.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
The World is Yours
~ Kei ōu ringaringa te ao
This print brings together three powerful symbols. The Hamsa hand carries blessings, peace, and protection across many cultures. In its palm, the pīwakawaka brings joy, freedom, and love. And flowing through it all, the kōwhaiwhai patterns of our ancestors remind us that nothing exists alone - everything is connected, everything belongs. Together they carry a single truth: that love, strength, and everything you need is already within you.
For anyone stepping into something new, growing into who they are, or someone in your life you want to send out into the world knowing they are loved and ready - this print is for them.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
We Fly to Each Other
~ E rere ana tāua ki a tāua
Two tui fly toward one another, drawn together the way some people are. This print is about that feeling - finding the person you’re meant to be with, or the joy of being together again after too long apart.
For a wedding, an anniversary, or simply because you want them to know, this is for the person you always fly back to.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Ko au te Whenua - I am the Land
I am the land and the land is me
Ko au te whenua, ko te whenua ko au - Whakatauki (maori proverb)
We don't just belong to the land, we are part of it. Our sense of who we are, where we come from, and how we are in the world is tied to the whenua beneath our feet. At the centre of this print, the Tui watches over land and sea, a guardian carrying that connection between people and place. For anyone who loves Aotearoa, whether they're here, or on the other side of the world, this print is a piece of home - Arohanui Aotearoa.
Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
The Stars of Matariki
A Matariki Blessing: The Stars of Matariki will guide you in all things, Come in love, be patient, be at peace.
Matariki is a time to reflect upon the past year, and to decide what to achieve moving forward ' Titiro whakamuri, kokiri whakamua - Look back and reflect so you can move forward '
It's a time to remember the loved ones who are no longer with us, and our family who have come before.
This print is about seeing them like stars in the sky - with us, guiding us, as our ancestors or angels. The bond is not broken - We still feel them with us and honour that connection and memory.
For anyone who celebrates Matariki, or for someone carrying the loss of a person they love - this print is a way of saying they are not forgotten, and never will be.


Limited Edition Giclée Print by Amber Smith
A4 Paper Size 210x297mm
Limited Edition of 100. Each print is hand signed
Matte archival cotton rag 320gsm paper
Slightly textured with a natural white tone - no artificial brighteners
Presented on a black matboard in a clear cellophane sleeve - ready to gift
Paraoa Aotearoa
Beautiful and peaceful, Aotearoa whale and calf - guardian and protector, deep love and connection.
The mother and calf journey beneath the night sky. Marama, the moon overhead is the natural world of life and light. The kowhaiwhai waves are new life intertwined with the lives of those before, the love between parent and child and the love and protection of whanau.
In Māori tradition, whales were the guides on the great journey to Aotearoa.
They were called on for protection and they carried people to safety.