Contemporary Māori artists are using the techniques and conventions of traditional Māori fibre work in their artworks. This piece, titled 'Taonga tuku iho', was made by Kahutoi Te Kanawa in 1992. It uses a mixture of modern materials and the native fibres kiekie and pīngao, in the form...
Prehistoric New Zealand In the prehistoric age of early human occupation, nomadic Maori hunters created New Zealand’s earliest surviving artworks in caves and shelters as long ago as the fifteenth century or earlier, The Maori Rock Art is admired by archaeologists and historians alike, these windows on the past show a strength and elegance of design but the question of origin and significance are still a mystery.
Finally I have finished my white shoulder korowai. I hope this will be used as a bridal arapaki sometime. It is for sale for $850. I enjoyed working out the heart taniko design and the mawhitiwhiti heart design. The gold and silver sparkly threads in the taniko worked really well. I am carrying on with my big cloak too and am getting up to the taniko soon so will need to work out something to suit my clients. Also have a few small things on the go. The group that was coming couldn't come in the end so I am not in such a rush and can concentrate on the big one a bit more. The middle slog has nearly finished so it's getting exciting again.
小さなものばかりを作っています。この期間にさまざまな布の感触を学びます。小さな刺繍も大切な学びの場です。布の感触を確かめるためのお試し。この織りの布にはどんな…
Four panels show variations of the roimata (tears) pattern, based on vertically stitched rows, frequently in pairs, that are separated…
Japan cultural insights, walks, pilgrimages, temples, shrines, traditional and modern architecture, and amazing photography.
These upcycled tin can lanterns with LED lights are easy for kids to create, and make really lovely night lanterns. Find out exactly how we made them.
The name of this panel, Ngā Heke Iho, alludes to the falling of women's tears, in remembrance of Helen. The panel is in the mumu form,…
Jagoda Buic, a creative fibre artist that is known for her 3d weaving sculptures with an architectural character! Enjoy this Sunday's Visual Diary!
Kia ora - thanks for popping in. I thought I would add a few typical New Zealand photos taken by Derek on our recent road trip to the mountains. Maori meeting house in the township of Taumaranui Typical rural roadside scene - we love the look of old farm buildings This slide is really best when the tide is in at this home in Raglan on a tidal inlet. Creative Mother (...that's me) My daughter Maria (21) has just moved into a house by herself, and we are still busy getting her organized. I came away with a list of all the little things she needs - because we have amalgamated a few households over the years and have way too much stuff. On this list were fridge magnets ("not tacky ones though"). We have a lot of those promotional magnets that you get sent without asking for. They are not pretty, but I don't like to throw them out. Usually I stick pieces of them onto the backs of postcards and display the cards on the fridge like that. This time I though I would cover a couple using some upholstery vinyl that I had saved from a project. I will wait and see if these pass the "not tacky" judgement. I thought they would go with the black and white decor. Double sided sticky tape and new cover for fridge magnets Fridge magnets - now a bit more attractive The next item on the list was place mats. I know I have some extras somewhere - probably stored high in the garage, but meanwhile I came across the remains of an old bamboo blind...the same one I used to make light shades with for the caravan refashion. Don't throw those old bamboo blinds out! A bit of work with the scissors, and a good scrub, and I will hand them over with a poker face to my girl who has champagne taste on a beer budget. They should do until she has enough money to buy herself what she likes. "New" set of bamboo place mats - no expense spared. It's only small stuff - and yes it would have been (almost) quicker to go out and buy new ones - but where's the fun in that?
Pātiki or pātikitiki (flounder) designs are based on the lozenge or diamond shape of the flounder fish. They can be quite varied within…
Four panels show variations of the roimata (tears) pattern, based on vertically stitched rows, frequently in pairs, that are separated…
Last week I visited a local gallery in Uehonmachi, Osaka. The Soho Gallery usually holds exhibitions of paintings and photographs by foreign and local artists but on this occassion it housed an Ainu textile delight. Mamiya-San is part of a group who has been awarded a grant, by the Japanese goverment, to keep Ainu culture alive, teaching not only Japanese people but to a worldwide audience. My mother and I are fascinated by this dying culture for a number of reasons. The Ainu people were very similar historically to Native North American Indians, both were hunter gatherers and had a great respect for their environment, adapting to difficult climates with ingenuity. Both utilised these skills to produce everyday essentials and more complex handicrafts associated with their beliefs. I learnt today that each Ainu family has a specific symbology used to decorate their clothing and household textiles. The designs and their meaning have been past on orally through the generations. The areas on the garments which are heavily decorated are to protect important parts of the body, such as the lungs, thigh and back. Cuffs are for the protection of the hands and headbands for the head. The pointed aspects of the design are to repel evil spirits, the curved spiral- like designs are labyrinths where evil loses its way. Most of these swirls occur at points on the human body where the lymph nodes lie. I found this particularly interesting considering there were no scientists to enlighten them in those times. Intially garments were made of woven plant fibres but as soon as the Ainu started trading with Japanese from Northern Honshu, cotton was most often used. The examples exhibited today at the Soho Gallery are modern as most of the orginals or antiques belong to Russia or are housed in one of the museums in Hokkaido and need a special environment to preserve them. One coat took about six months to create if it was worked on full-time but usually it was twelve months as there were other jobs to do. Only women made the garments, their men would hunt, note that the designs on their clothing were in areas perhaps prone to injury whilst hunting. The samurai, a very different creature had a long elegant bow, however the Ainu had a small compact bow to manoeuvre quickly and easily. Unfortunately, as with most indigenous peoples, the story of the Ainu is rather sad. With the annexation of Hokkaido, by the Japanese government, in the mid nineteenth century, the Ainu were forced to give up their culture and be Japanese. When Mamiya-san was asked what is a typical Ainu name, she said we were told not to use our Ainu names and take a Japanese one. But the Ainu language still exists although it is rarely spoken as there are only about 100 pure blood Ainu today. Ainu parents encouraged their children to marry Japanese so their life would not be as harsh. Finally in 1997 the law pertaining to the banning of Ainu culture was rescinded and the Ainu were encouraged to enjoy their culture and traditions once more. I found the hours spent at the exhibition most enjoyable and my favourite items were the shin protectors and headbands and of course watching Mamiya-san's deft fingers as she produced a magical design. One of the things my mother and I do have in common is we like to rescue items from the past, give them a future. The human race seems to spend most of the time destroying things then later spending a great deal of energy trying to preserve them. Textiles are fragile, but full of stories, meaning, history and beauty and we will carry on the battle to save them. Louise Kate Young Osaka, Japan
