Student weavers put mahi on display
Exhibition of Mā ori weaving caps three years of study
Today the work of weavers is rich in storytelling and symbolism and an important element in the survival of Mā ori culture. Janet Bayly
Māori arts degree student weavers from the Palmerston North campus of Te Wananga o Aotearoa have invoked the “sacred stitch” used in woven panels to showcase their work in an exhibition at Waikanae’s Mahara iti.
Tumatakahuki is the culmination of three years of study and practical work at the wananga, the only one in the world to provide a degree course in Māori weaving.
Mahara iti director Janet Bayly said Māori weaving had developed from practical origins into an important art form.
“Over the centuries, it has evolved from its practical origins into a wonderful art form. Today, the work of weavers is rich in storytelling and symbolism and an important element in the survival of Māori culture. We are privileged to exhibit the work of weavers starting out on their artistic journey.”
Nine weavers, all women from a variety of backgrounds that include Māori, Tokelauan, Rarotongan, Swiss, English, Scottish and Welsh have contributed to Tumatakahuki.
The exhibition’s centrepiece is a framed tukutuku panel, Te Huihuio-Matariki, which the class completed last year as a group project.
“Each tauira was given one of the nine stars of Matariki to represent in a small tukutuku panel,” course tutor Adrienne Spratt said. “We then put them together to create this piece.”
Tukutuku panels were once part of the traditional wall construction of a meeting house (wharenui). The art form had almost died out by the early 20th century until it was revived along with other Mā ori arts and crafts in the second half of the century.
Other exhibits include individual tukutuku, kete, cloaks, jewellery, wallhangings and poi. Students used natural dyes and materials from nature such as harakeke (flax), cabbage tree leaves, skins, feathers and teeth.
Emily Gavan, who has English and Scottish ancestry, is exhibiting a collection of pre-colonial personal adornments using sharks’ teeth and weka feathers from the Chatham Island as well as some of her own children’s teeth.
At the exhibition opening, Margot Bennetts who has Scottish, English and Welsh ancestry, spoke for her fellow weavers. “It’s been both exciting and frightening to put the mahi on display. Mahara iti is a beautiful space and an honour to have the exhibition here.”
On behalf of the class, she thanked the families of weavers for their tolerance — weavers using traditional materials are sometimes a challenge to live with, she explained — “clogging up the vacuum cleaner” being a good example.
Spratt said the programme encompassed all aspects of Māori weaving, exploring the diverse range of customary practices from fibreweaving and plaiting to lattice-work.
Covid and working through lockdowns had made the course challenging for the weavers.
During the first two years of the course the weavers learn tikanga, technique and processes skills. In the final year they produce a work or collaborate on a larger work.
They also learn curatorial skills to enable them to curate an exhibition.
The exhibiting artists are Cassandra Archer, Constance Mason, Emily Gavan, Fiona Mackie, Maliana Walker, Marjorie Nikora, Margot Bennetts, Miranda Bush, Ratahi Tamatea.