Kairaranga
Whatarangi Winiata interviews Whiriwhiria exhibition curator Pip Devonshire
Whatarangi Winiata interviews Whiriwhiria exhibition curator Pip Devonshire
(l-r) Charlene Fraser, Hinepūororangi-Tahupārae, Karl Leonard, Tracey Patete at the Tiaho Mai exhibition opening, Creative Kāpiti Gallery Kiwibank Paraparaumu, photo credit Bob Zuur
The Whiriwhiria exhibition at the Toi Māori Gallery presents the latest work from a group of Māori weavers connected to the Kāpiti Coast township of Ōtaki and curated by Pip Devonshire (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Te Au hapū, Ngāti Manomano hapū).
Pip started weaving in the mid-80s, initially learning kete whiri at weaving wānanga held at Paranui marae. Pip’s weaving is influenced by her tupuna, Nanny Rangimahora Reihana Mete and Kui Ranginui Parewahawaha Leonard. These weavers were well known for their expertise in raranga and whatu and penchant for blending new ideas with traditional forms. Similarly, Pip’s work displays a natural attitude to innovation having transformed her kete whiri from functional items to sculptural forms. In 1994 Pip received an opportunity to produce tukutuku and kōwhaiwhai panels for Ngāti Manomano at Taumata o te Rā marae in Rangitīkei and enrolled as a Design and Art student at Te Wānanga o Raukawa learning tāniko, whatu and different raranga techniques. Since 2000 Pip had been a tutor for the Toi Whakarākai programme for the Diploma of Design and Art at Te Whare Toi, Te Wānanga o Raukawa with her teaching focus being raranga and whatu. In 2020, Sonia Snowden and Pip Devonshire were announced as the inaugural Ngā Aho Whenua Weavers in Residence at the Toi Matarau Gallery within the Māoriland Film Hub in Ōtaki. During this residency, Pip also curated the Te Ringa Māhorahora exhibition, and the Te Rōpū Wāhine Toko I Te Ora of Te Awahou at Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, Foxton, which commemorates 70 years of the Māori Womens Welfare League and their contribution to Māori development in that region and throughout the motu. Recent exhibitions include: Tiaho Mai 2022, Kiwibank Paraparaumu, Te Ringa Māhora 2022, Toi Matarau Gallery, Māoriland Film Hub, Ōtaki. Pip Devonshire at the Māori Market 2011, Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua
Q: What are personal qualities required to be a weaver?
A: Patience and hard work. Q: What are some challenges faced by kairaranga today? A: Weaving is a time-consuming activity and in the current time poor world that we live in, finding large amounts of time to commit in order to give justice to the weaving can be a challenge. Q: What are the greatest risks to Māori weaving, now and into the future? A: Cultural misappropriation and maintaining the integrity of weaving mātauranga. Q: Ōtaki is well recognised as a stronghold for Māori weaving and weavers in Aotearoa. In your opinion, what makes Ōtaki such a flourishing environment for Māori weaving today? A: Ōtaki is a hub for Mātauranga Māori and weaving is a branch of that mātauranga. Q: Te Wānanga o Raukawa and the Toi Whakarākai programme attract tauira from around the country. What are the origins of the Toi Whakarākai programme? A: Erenora Puketapu Hetet and Rangi Hetet designed the Diploma and Bachelor of Māori Design and A.R.T. (Te Atiawa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Toarangatira) programmes in the early 1990s with the first year of delivery in 1994 of both weaving and carving streams. Q: Who were the key figures in establishing the programme, the influential teachers and the unique characteristics of this programme and its graduates?
A: The Hetet whānau together established and taught the programme sharing their expertise in both fields of weaving and carving, exemplifying Erenora and Rangi’s artistic partnership as role models of female and male artists, and the production of significant Māori spaces such as whare whakairo. Kōhai Grace, Karl Leonard and Heemi Tahupārae are past kaihautū who with kaimahi have refined the programme over its 25 years of delivery. Q: How has the programme changed since 1994?
A: The programme streams have been refined and with COVID-19 there is been a push for online delivery. Q: Whaea Sonia Snowden gave the name ‘Whiriwhiria’ to this exhibition featuring current work by a group of weavers connected to Ōtaki. How and when did this group come together? A: The collective’s whanaungatanga is based upon long-standing weaving relationships formed either through whakapapa, as past or present weaving tutors or exhibiting artists at the Māoriland Film Hub’s Toi Matarau Gallery. Whiriwhiria is the first time we have exhibited together as a group. Whaea Sonia Snowden at the Tiaho Mai exhibition opening, Creative Kāpiti Gallery Kiwibank Paraparaumu, photo credit Bob Zuur
Q: What are some of your regular activities and special projects?
A: The exhibition Whiriwhiria is the number one special project that we are focussed towards at the moment and the production of our own individual weaving projects. We are located in different parts of the country and fundamentally will come together for the first time as we start to set up this exhibition at the Toi Māori Aotearoa Gallery, in Wellington. Most involved in the collective are also currently organising the Toi Māori Aotearoa National Weaving Hui, in association with Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa, hosted by Te Wānanga o Raukawa, Ōtaki, in October this year. (l-r) Kohai Grace, Elaine Bevan, Diane Prince, - ,Tracey Morgan, Sonia Snowden and Karl Leonard at the Weavers National Hui Christchurch 2019
Q: What are the regular weaving subjects discussed among your group?
A: Generally current or past weaving experiences or ideas for future projects. Q: Tell me about your experience as the inaugural Ngā Aho Whenua Weaver in Residence with Sonia Snowden at the Toi Matarau Gallery, Māoriland Hub? A: It's been an honour to weave alongside Whaea Sonia. The Ngā Aho Residency has given me the opportunity to immerse completely into weaving, a situation that’s super conducive to creative exploration. Lots of connections have also been made with the that make the Māoriland wheels turn, artists, customers and visiting groups. Everyday conversations had during weaving in the gallery are enjoyable and show that there is very keen discerning interest in Māori art especially those artworks within Toi Matarau gallery. Sonia Snowden & Pip Devonshire, inspecting a pair of Tui gifted by Tungia Kaihau of Ōtaki
Q: Tell me about the kaupapa of the Residency?
A: The residency supports our individual weaving pursuits such as weaving, promotes gathering materials and the relevant tikanga, hosting weaving wānanga and meeting new weavers, curating exhibitions Within Toi Matarau gallery and creating new works for exhibitions plus visiting Toi Māori relevant spaces, places and events. Q: What did you most enjoy about working at the Māoriland Hub? A: The Ngā Aho Whenua residency has been extended. I’ve enjoyed being a full time weaver, no marking to do, guidelines to work with just time to weave. Q: In 2022 Ōtaki Weavers associated with Te Wānanga o Raukawa are hosting the National Weavers Hui at Te Wānanga o Raukawa. What kind of experience are you hoping to offer to your guests? A: We want to share the Ōtaki weaving environment and mātauranga with attendees. |