From the Earth: Wood Stone & Fibre / 7 - 29 February 2008

From customary Maori whakairo and kakahu, to exquisitely crafted contemporary pounamu sculpture by Tuhoe artist Te Kaha, From the Earth brings together a collection of historical and contemporary articles fashioned from wood, stone and fibre. This exhibition demonstrates the extraordinary versatility of human creativity in employing these natural materials which have been expertly transformed into items of functionality fused with aesthetic value.

Fibre has always been considered essential to human survival, its applications numerous and widespread. Readily abundant throughout Polynesia, coconut husk and mulberry bark have provided staple reserves for the production of tapa cloth and utilitarian equipment such as rope, thatching, nets and twine. With neither of these resources indigenous to Aotearoa, the most suitable fibre was harvested from harakeke (New Zealand flax) leaves. When woven its properties abound - warmth and softness combined with strength and resilience make this natural product ideal for manufacturing garments. Stunning examples of the application of this fibre as part of the tradition of Maori weaving are displayed in the exhibition. Most notably a striking piupiu (flax skirt) and four stunning kakahu (cloaks) from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. 

Human reliance upon wood as a fundamental resource has not diminished over time, having proved indispensable for a wealth of applications over the millennia. It is the world’s most renewable resource essential for the production of fuel, habitation, transport, tools and equipment. Within the small Pacific Islands, geographical limitations determined that consumption of wood products operate within a culturally accountable environment thereby ensuring sustainability. Often, adornment carved into wooden implements signified a form of acknowledgement and veneration towards the gods and ancestors. When left unadorned, items maintained a purely utilitarian function, their beauty implicit in the economy of form. Among others within the exhibition are handsome examples of heru, taiaha, patu, waihaka and hoe.

Stone has been utilised by humans since its benefits as tools and weapons were discovered. In Aotearoa, pounamu sourced only from the rivers of Te Waipounamu (South Island) were highly prized and contested. Its lustrous green translucence was well suited for personal adornment often in the form of hei tiki and hei taringa (earrings). Weaponry and tools were also fashioned from this revered material, particularly for ceremonial purposes. A staple of peacemaking encounters, trade and negotiation among chiefs, this stone’s esteemed status far outweighed its aesthetic and practical properties. Pounamu still remains as the material of choice for many carvers today as works by East Cape artist Te Kaha testify. Working in both pounamu and onewa a selection of Te Kaha’s sculpture will compliment historical examples.