'Toi Māori' opens in San Francisco
08 Oct 2008
Māori artists will be under the spotlight this weekend at San Francisco's de Young museum in a living exhibition of traditional and contemporary Māori art and culture.
The 'Toi Māori' exhibition (10 - 12 October) brings together a collection of small treasures in silver, bone, jade, clay, glass and contemporary materials, with artists who will demonstrate the Māori arts of tattoo and weaving, and a fashion parade of contemporary and traditional Māori cloaks.
Visitors will have the opportunity of interacting with the artists, trying hands-on activities, and purchasing small treasures and contemporary artworks.
Contemporary art
Māori weaver Kohai Grace, the current artist-in-residence at the museum, will present 'From Maori to Mono: Weaving across the Pacific'. She will be supported by three other mono weavers.
Grace is a contemporary artist who employs traditional art forms in current day contexts, often mixing industrial materials with naturally dyed fibers in her weaving.
Māori creative endeavour
'Toi Māori' refers to artistic knowledge spanning every aspect of Māori creative endeavour.
While rooted in Pacific tribal art, Māori art is distinctive for its rich curvilinear style that goes beyond the traditional rectilinear traditions of Polynesia. Influenced by the broader range of raw materials available in New Zealand (relative to other parts of Polynesia) Māori applied curves to everything from fishhooks to buildings.
Even utilitarian items, skillfully carved and highly polished, became objects of great beauty and spirituality that expressed status and wealth within Māori communities.
Māori art continues to develop with new materials and designs that enrich the lives of modern New Zealanders.
De Young Museum
Part of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, de Young Museum is located in Golden Gate Park.
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