Diggeress Te Kanawa
Master weaver Diggeress Te Kanawa, now in her 80s, continues to create exquisite examples of superior cloaks. Examples of her work are held in collections in Europe and in New Zealand.
This page is currently being updated.
Diggeress Te Kanawa, along with other weavers, founded the Aotearoa Moananui a Kiwa Weavers, which later became Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa, the national collective of weavers.
Diggeress is an exhibiting artist in 'Toi Maori: The Eternal Thread' international touring exhibition of Maori weaving.
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Diggeress Te Kanawa is a toi iho™ certified artist. toi iho™ is a registered trade mark used to promote and sell authentic, quality Maori arts and crafts.
The Nga Taonga a Hine-te-iwa-iwa website has a profile of Diggeress Te Kanawa as well as her article on Maori Weaving.
In August 2001, Diggeress Te Kanawa was one of 10 recipients at the Nga Taonga Toi/Te Waka Toi Awards presented by Te Waka Toi, the Maori Arts Board of Creative New Zealand. In 2003, Diggeress Te Kanawa was made an Icon Artist by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand.
In May 2004, the Waikato Museum of Art and History was the venue for Diggeress' exhibition Te Aho Tapu - The sacred thread woven by Diggeress Te Kanawa. In April 2005, the Hamilton Gardens opened a new sculpture entitled Nga Uri o Hinetuparimaunga, a collaboration between Diggeress Te Kanawa and contemporary sculptor Chris Booth.