Korowai (cloak adorned with hanging cords)

Rokahurihia Ngarimu-Cameron explores her cultural identity in the exchange of textile disciplines-by using customary Maori weaving materials and techniques in a new way, through loom weaving.

This korowai cloak by Roka has been woven on a loom with customary Maori weaving materials and processes. It is the first time that this amalgamation has been achieved and is an acknowledgement of cultural adaptation and exchange between Maori and European cultures.

Roka says:

"On-loom weaving of cloaks has become my creative response to my dual cultural heritage. In making this transition – that of adapting the art of making traditional off-loom garments to a contemporary practice of on-loom weaving – I feel I am playing a part in bringing (or weaving) the two cultures of Aotearoa/New Zealand together."

The logistical challenges involved in adapting the loom to Māori cloak weaving did not faze her: "Just as my ancestors had challenged themselves to create in order to solve the problems of the day, I also wanted to be innovative, imaginative and creative. I wanted to go outside the square, outside my comfort zone, to produce and adapt my skills to meet this new challenge of manufacturing kakahu using natural resources on loom."

This is a korowai (koro-wellspring/source, wai-water/flowing) style of cloak that flourished during the mid 19th century and continues to evolve today. It was one of a series of on loom cloaks created by Roka for her Masters thesis in Fine Arts, School of Art, Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin, completed in 2008. Roka utilised the customary bark and paru mud dye processes. The dyed and rolled whītau hukahuka that cascade down the garment express the concept of 'korowai'. Looking deeper into the term- it is possibly a reference to the continuing descent lines of people. The quivering movement of the hukahuka when worn brings the garment come to life. Roka acknowledges the runaka, or tribal authority, of Puketeraki, Dunedin, with this work.