item details
Overview
This masi (Fijian tapa) was produced by Liviana Qaranivalu (Vatulele, Fiji) as a part of the 'Ahu: Ngā wairua o Hina project.
A wish for the future This masi titled Let it shine merges Liviana’s family techniques and heritage, embodying her aspirations for tapa's future. While creating this piece she reflected on her island’s unbroken tapa practices and the role her people play in the wider Pacific. Through the sharing of knowledge and their physical resources of bark and cloth, Liviana recognises the impact they have in enabling others to revive or sustain their tapa practices. Liviana and her husband credit tapa with empowering them to build a future for their family, providing a home and a way to care for their children and loved ones. The vibrant, star-like pattern in Let it shine honours their bond with tapa, symbolising hope for its future, and gratitude for the role it plays in their lives. "My wish for the future of tapa. Let it shine." Liviana Qaranivalu, 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.