Maori Arts

Heritage meets inspiration to create artworks that celebrate the future of Maori culture.

A new generation of artists has entwined the textile traditions of the past with the creativity of their own imagination.

The Art of Weaving

When Maori first arrived in Aotearoa, they encountered a climate that was extreme compared to their homelands in Polynesia. They adapted quickly by utilising their existing twining and weaving skills to produce cloaks and other practical objects such as kete (baskets).

The most widely used weaving material for cloaks was (and still is) harakeke - otherwise known as New Zealand flax. Rituals were associated with the sourcing and preparation of the harakeke, from the planting of bushes through to harvesting and stripping of the fibre to create muka. Other materials, including feathers and dog skin, were added for warmth and ornamentation.

Traditionally, cloaks were created without a loom. The work was suspended between two upright weaving pegs and woven by hand. Feathers or decorative threads were integrated into the fabric of the garment as the weaving progressed. Natural dyes were used to achieve a variety of colours; paru (swamp mud) was used to achieve a black tone and tanekaha (bark) produced brown.

The earliest style of cloak was the rain cape. This cloak was primarily for protection from the elements and was relatively quick to produce. More decorative cloaks, made for leaders and chiefs, incorporated fine muka surfaces, taniko borders and feathers.

The kahu kuri was the most prized of cloaks. It incorporated strips of dog skin. The kuri (native Polynesian dog) came to New Zealand with the first Maori. Kahu kuri were highly treasured and only worn by rangatira (chiefs).

The production of kete was a highly developed art form throughout the Pacific, however new techniques were developed for Aotearoa's different materials. As with cloaks, kete were used for both practical purposes and personal adornment.

Weaving was traditionally done by women and skills were handed down from one generation to the next. Weavers were prized within their tribes. 'Aitia te wahine o te pa harakeke' is a Maori proverb that translates to mean 'Marry the woman who is always at the flax bush, for she is an expert flax worker and an industrious person'.

At Te Puia, the Maori arts and crafts institute in Rotorua, weaving skills are passed on to Maori of all ages. "I believe weaving can only be learnt the old way - by sitting, listening, touching and by doing", says head weaver, Edna Pahewa.

Visitors to New Zealand are able to appreciate the fine art of Maori weaving at various venues around the country, including Te Puia. For a totally authentic experience, staying at a Maori marae (village centre) is a way to learn about the art form in context.

The Art of Moko

The human skin is the living canvas of a ta moko artist. The practice of body tattooing can be linked to several Pacific countries (in fact the word tattoo derives from the Tahitian word 'tatu'), but in Aotearoa the art form evolved in a way found nowhere else.

When Joseph Banks encountered the Maori moko en masse on the Endeavour's first voyage to New Zealand, he wrote:

"It was impossible to avoid admiring the immense Elegance and Justness of the figures in which it is form'd , which in the face is always different spirals, upon the body generally different figures resembling something of the foliages of old Chasing upon gold or silver; all these finish'd with a masterly taste and execution, for of a hundred which at first sight you would judge to be exactly the same, on a close examination, no two will prove a like."

Before the arrival of European settlers, the complex designs of ta moko were literally carved into the skin. A rake-like instrument (uhi matarau), usually made of teeth or bone, was used to break the skin; then a flat edged blade (uhi) was used to tap in the dye, creating a tattoo with a scarred, chiselled appearance.

The modern tool of ta moko is the tattoo machine, (mihini moko), although some ta moko artists alternate between traditional and modern methods. While the needle is faster and more precise, hand tools bring the ritual more in line with how it was done traditionally.

As New Zealand's Maori people are rediscovering their heritage, many are turning towards the art of moko. Ta moko continues to mean what it has always meant; it is a symbol of integrity, Maori identity and prestige, as well as a reflection of Whakapapa (ancestry) and personal history.

A national collective of ta moko artists - Te Uhi a Mataora - was formed in 2000 to preserve, enhance and develop ta moko as a living art form. Many of these highly skilled artists come from a carving background; others specialise in design. All of them share a deep understanding of traditional forms and designs. The collective strives to uphold ancient traditions while also looking to the future, as the art of ta moko continues to develop.