Matemosi, her masi
EVERY time a Fiji Airways aircraft touches down or takes off, attention is drawn to the unique iTaukei masi pattern on the tailplane and Makereta Matemosi, the woman who designed it.
The Namuka-i-Lau artisan has a strong reputation for her innovative masi or tapa cloth creations.
Her name spread far and wide after her design was chosen to adorn the national airline’s new brand in 2012.
Ms Matemosi had more than 32 years of experience in masi making and a video clip released by the airline nine years ago told of her inspirational story.
As a little girl, she took interest in the way women in the village gave their life to masimaking — from pounding it, to drying and to how many pieces they completed in a day.
She was asked to create a masi for Fiji Airways that captured all the unique and positive images of the country, the airline, and iTaukei villages.
Her aim was to create a design that was different from the rest of the masi prints in Fiji and she did just that with the help of Fiji Airways to get the right meaning for the masi.
Ms Matemosi has dedicated her life to making masi.
The masi-making process begins by flattening out the bark of the mulberry tree, where the women separate the skin from the flesh, and begin the process of beating it.
The bark is then soaked for a week to be used as pigment for dyeing together with charcoal.
Ms Matemosi said the black colour signified the strength Fijians have and the red colour represented the humbleness Fijians possessed.
At the centre is a distinctive teteva motif, that she said some years back, represented spirituality, consideration for others, Fijian hospitality, and the connection that the Fiji Airways would continue to offer the rest of the world.
“What I’ve created is something entirely different and has never been seen in any of the masi
designs in Fiji,” she said years back.
“I hope this masi symbol means a lot to our nation, our people, and our visitors, because we are proud of our country and proud of the new Fiji Airways”.