Tonga Master Carver Attends World Expo in Shanghai, China.

Leonati recently left the idealic isles of Tonga in order to travel to Shanghai, China to participate in the World Expo 2010. Accompanied by his wife Anni, he will spend the next 6 months based in Shanghai as a representative of Tongan Culture. Both Anni and Leonati will provide demonstrations of traditional Tongan handicrafts to visitors at the World Expo, in addition to selling their high quality woven and carved items. Whilst away, Leonati Junior will be overseeing the market stall in Vava'u and will continue to produce carvings for customers during the whale watching season.

Tonga Master Carver in his studio creating work for the World Expo 2010.


Materials at Leonati's studio waiting to be turned into Masterpieces.


Leonati Junior continuing the family tradition of producing high quality carving.

Tonga Master Carver Stall at the Vava'u Handicraft Market

Leonati sells his work direct to the public from his stall at the Handicraft Market in Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga. Visit him here to purchase one of his orginal carvings, or to discuss a custom made artwork.

Leonati - Artist to the King

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.

Today 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 are 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 Topou at the coronation of King George Topou 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 Anni joined him as a demonstrator of Tongan tapa and woven items).