SHEREE WILLMAN

9 Dec

NEW ZEALAND, NGĀTI KAHUNGUNU, RANGITĀNE

I am inspired by our Māori culture and my tūpuna who were weavers, painting traditional Māori patterns that have history and meaning, including, tukukutuku, latticework which usually adorn the walls within our wharenui, meeting houses, tāniko, twining techniques, used to decorate the borders of kākahu, cloaks, kete whakairo, finely woven patterned baskets and whāriki, floor mats. All of these have different tapu, sacred elements in the weaving techniques, they have been passed down through iwi - tribes, for generations, created from harakeke - New Zealand flax and other plants such as pīngao - golden sand sedge, kiekie - a thick native vine and kākaho - toetoe stems, all native plants from our whenua, our land.