Tui Emma Gillies - Tapa art

As part of their Pacific Indigenous Knowledge assignment that focused on Pacific Art, the Pacific Studies class were lucky enough to have Tui Emma Gillies, a Kiwi Tongan artist who specializes in tapa art come in and deliver a workshop to the boys on the tapa art form. Tui resides in Auckland and was in Christchurch for a residency placement at the University of Canterbury. Tui discussed the work that goes into preparing the bark on which the designs are put on as well as the lengths taken to get the pigment used for the colouring of the cloth from a remote Tongan island. 

The boys loved the hands-on experience from what it is like to beat the bark to producing a piece of tapa, and then designing and creating a piece for themselves to take home. Many of the boys have been around this art form their whole lives and now have a far greater appreciation for it.

For more info on her and her artwork: Tui Emma Gillies - Kiwi Tongan Artist Specialising in Tapa Art

The topic also took us to the Christchurch Art Gallery where we were taken through the Te Rā: Māori Sail Exhibition. The sail is a 200-year-old traditional Māori sail that is on loan from the British Museum. Te Ra displayed the intricate weaving practices used during the time and is seen as both an art form and a technology that allowed for both open water and coastal waka journeys. 

The zig-zag pattern of the main weave allowed for the expansion and contraction of the sail depending on the strength of the wind. A huge thank you to the gallery for hosting us especially Chloe Cull, Pouarataki Curator Māori and Hatesa Seumanutafa, Pacific Curator at the Canterbury Museum for taking us through the exhibition and sharing their knowledge.