Christina Hurihia Wirihana
"In my weaving I am continually inspired by the surrounds of my maunga (mountain) Matawhaura, moana tapu Rotoiti (Lake Rotoiti), my marae Taurua and especially my whanau (family)."
Tribal affiliations: Ngati Maniapoto-Raukawa, Tainui Ngati Pikaio, Te Arawa
Christina is a contemporary artist, acclaimed in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally for her weaving which incorporates a mixture of traditional and contemporary processes.
A skilled traditional weaver, she was tutored by expert weavers including her mother, Matekino Lawless, whose work is also represented in The Eternal Thread exhibition.
Christina's recent works still adhere to strong cultural and spiritual origins in spite of their concessions to new technology. She uses modern industrial materials such as Perspex and wire while still applying the processes and techniques of her tupuna (ancestors). This blend of influences inspires the innovative, fresh and deliberate thinking behind her works.
"My perception of whariki (woven mats) and tukutuku (panels) processes demonstrates clearly the future of the art form determined by the resource readily available to my tupuna (ancestors)."
Weaving has been her life and in the last twenty years she has shared her experiences and artwork nationally and internationally through workshops, conferences, commissions, artist residencies and exhibitions. She has exhibited, tutored and lectured on weaving worldwide and her work is in collections in USA, Europe and Australasia.
In 2004 Christina represented Aotearoa New Zealand at the Pacific Arts Festival in Belau.
Christina Wirihana is a licensed user of toi iho™, a registered trade mark used to promote and sell authentic, quality Maori arts and crafts.
Links
Christina was an exhibiting artist and delegation member in the 'Toi Maori: The Eternal Thread' exhibition at the Burke Museum in Seattle, Washington, USA.
Recognition of her work came in 2003 when she was the recipient of the Te Tohu Mahi Hou a Te Waka Toi/Te Waka Toi Award for New Work. This was followed in 2006, by a Te Waka Toi residency at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington state, USA.
Read more about Christina and view her profile and art works on the Spirit Wrestler Gallery website. Also visit her profile and gallery of art works on the Nga Taonga a Hine-te-iwa-iwa website. She was part of The South Project in Wellington in 2005. She has also been featured in the long white book.