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Overview
Shona Tāwhiao first learned to weave at Unitec in 1994-95 under the tutelage of Kahutoi Te Kanawa. The following year was her first foray into putting this newly-acquired skill into production and commerce where, along with Joy Wikitera, she sold kete through various stockists and at local markets.
Her work has been exhibited in London, Hawaii, Malaysia, Melbourne, Fiji and Paris, as well as appearing at local events such as New Zealand Fashion Week, Style Pasifika, Cult Couture, World of Wearable Art, and the Matariki Festival.
In 2016 Shona was selected by Dr Maia Nuku, the Evelyn A. J. Hall and John A. Friede Associate Curator for Oceanic Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in the US, to undertake a three week artist’s residency in the Oceanic collection. As well as her ‘harakeke couture’ fashion practice, Shona has also designed costumes for the screen and stage, including River Queen, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted, Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules. She has also been the main designer and producer for sets on Māori Television and a costume designer for the theatre production of The Māori Merchant of Venice. Shona states: "The last film I made pieces for was The Dead Lands. I wove 16 taatua for the main actors - it was quite cool to see them worn on the film posters and on the big screen."
Te Hokioi is from Shona’s first collection and represents a starting point for her thinking. It is apparent in Te Hokioi that her interest in birds has been incorporated, so too is the innovative ways in which she has worked with form to produce an interesting and compelling silhouette.