Maria Podskrebko moved to New Zealand from St. Peterburg, Russia in 2011 and now lives with her family in Laingholm making jewellery in her home studio. Back in Russia, Maria enjoyed teaching English, but upon arriving in NZ, she decided to switch careers and began jewellery making at the Bush Studio in Titirangi. Since 2016, Maria has been making niobium, titanium and silver jewellery under her brand Awaroa Road Jewellery trying to blend aesthetics with wearability. All her pieces are made by hand, using argon welding and hydraulic metal forming. She draws most of her inspiration from tools and materials at hand as well as from new technical processes she learns along the way.