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Overview
This siapo (Samoan tapa) was produced by Doron Semu (Sāmoa – Falelatai, Salelesi, Asau, Falelima; New Zealand European) as a part of the 'Ahu: Ngā wairua o Hina project.
Creativity of the past
In this work Doron Semu has created a type of Sāmoan siapo known as siapo mamanu. This form of siapo is painted using free-hand patterns and techniques and was once more common in the past. Today, siapo 'elei, decorated by transferring designs from pattern boards called 'upeti, is the dominant style. While Doron acknowledges the beauty of both forms, in this piece he reflects on the artistic approach seen in historic siapo mamanu which show greater diversity and spontaneity in patterns resulting in unique styles and motifs.
“We have forgotten styles within Sāmoa. When we look at textbooks, and we look at museum collections, and we look at what they teach in school about Samoan Siapo, it's one style; it's Siapo ‘elei. It's these print blocks that are beautiful and stunning and have a place within our history. But we forget about this beautiful freehand style that we have, Siapo Mamanu, where there's more creativity, where there's expression, where you can see the connections of the other islands.”
Doron Semu, 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.