Artist’s dying wish granted

Three years after the death of a young designer, her family has gifted her final piece to Te Papa, writes Carly Gooch.

IT was her ‘‘most personal piece’’ but it was awork Claire Prebble never got to complete.

Three years after her death from aggressive melanoma World of Wearable Arts (WOW) designer Prebble’s last costume, lovingly finished by a friend, has been accepted into the permanent collection at Wellington’s Te Papa museum.

Mother Sarah Hornibrook said the costume – Warrioress of Light – was a project her daughter was doing for her own satisfaction.

‘‘It was about moving in to the light.’’

Inspired by the ‘‘beautiful whiteness’’ of barn owls and the American Indian War the ensemble is made up of several delicately detailed parts including a headpiece, face mask, sleeves, and a bodice, all created from Swarvoski crystals and sterling silver, with a skirt of silk organza.

Aged 18 Prebble was the youngestWOWSupreme Winner in 2004 before she began working in costume design at Weta Workshop, eventually becoming head of the costume department.

In a 2015 blog, Prebble wrote the costume was her ‘‘most personal piece’’.

‘‘The piece has grown with me from being a girl into being a young woman. It represents the challenges and achievements I have had in my life and how they have shaped me to be who I am today. Love. Loss. Caring. Betrayal. Pain. Happiness. I have seen the dark and decided it was not for me and I would go towards the light, love, caring, elegant, enchanting.’’

After Prebble’s death there was only one person who could complete the work, close friend and Weta Workshop colleague Alex Denton, who studied drawings and learned how to weave with silver wire to get it finished.

‘‘I managed to work out how to finish the headpiece ... and make the skirt, entirely her design obviously, and I put it together.’’

Denton said the costume was practically jewellery and it was a ‘‘privilege’’ to finish it.

Prebble had wished for The Warrioress of Light to end up at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, which holds the largest collection of decorative arts and design, or Te Papa. Denton later discovered Victoria and Albert only accepted work from British designers.

It will be on view at Te Papa in the New Year but in the meantime is accessible through Collections Online and special back of house tours frequented