“W'said Wi Gwen”- Where We are Going' ‘ahu (tapa cloth)

This 'ahu (Norfolk tapa) was produced by Sue Pearson (Norfolk Island – Pitcairn, Tahitian descent) as a part of the 'Ahu: Ngā wairua o Hina project.

A vibrant future

This tapa is an expression for hope for future generations of the eight Pitcairn families that made Norfolk Island their homeland. Printed pine seeds, symbolise the island’s youth along with the promise of generations to come. Interwoven through the work are pine saplings, representing the adult population. Pine needles, a tribute to the island’s elders, complete the tapa.

The 'aute used to make this cloth was soaked in the waters of Matavai bay, and honours the six Tahitian women, or tupuna, from whom Norfolk and Pitcairn Islanders trace their ancestry. The bloodlines of these foremothers will forever connect Norfolk Islanders to the wider Moana Nui a Hiwa family.

“W'said Wi Gwen”- Where We are Going was originally part of a larger work that was purposefully cut into three pieces at the behest of the artist by Dr Sean Mallon and Isaac Te Awa. This purposeful cutting honours the various real-life reasons tapa is cut, and the samples in the Alexander Shaw sampler book. The three pieces now reside with the artist Sue Pearson, and in the collections of Te Papa Tongarewa, and Te Fare Iamanaha-Musée de Tahiti et des Îles.

"It's about vibrancy of our people living in our own land, that's what I really hope for our future."

Sue Pearson, 2023

Background

In 2021, with the Te Papa Foundation’s support, Te Papa acquired a rare book of tapa cloth samples, one of many assembled by Alexander Shaw in 1787. The samples were cut from larger pieces of tapa collected on Captain Cook’s voyages to the Pacific (1768, 1772, 1776) and represent tapa-making practices from various islands including Hawai‘i, Tahiti and Tonga. While the books contain only fragments of much larger creations, they highlight the variety of textures and artistry attained through the practices, knowledge, and skills of Pacific peoples.

Held in Tahiti in 2023, 'Ahu: Ngā Wairua o Hina brought tapa makers of Tongan, Sāmoan, Niuean, Fijian, Hawaiian, Tahitian, Pitcairn-Norfolk Island, and Māori descent. Over five days this group worked together to re-establish their living relationships to the cloth held within the Alexander Shaw book. Through a process of wānanga this group of makers created two tapa bundles, incorporating the ideas of past, present, and future. Today, one of the bundles resides with Te Papa and the other with Te Fare Iamanaha-Musée de Tahiti et des Îles.