Waka Huia is a treasure trove of precious jewellery, objects and stories created by leading New Zealand jeweller, Areta Wilkinson (Kai Tahu, Kati Mamoe/Waitaha, Pakeha) – a beautiful, personal exhibition that opens tonight at Hawke’s Bay Museum & Art Gallery, in Napier. Traditionally, a waka huia was a treasure or feather box used by Maori to store personal and special objects associated with adornment and spirituality. This Waka Huia takes viewers on a journey through Wilkinson’s life history, connecting each object to korero (stories) that reflect her delight in the extraordinary nature of ordinary moments.
Each story is intensely personal, anchored to Wilkinson’s own whanau, iwi and community but, through the act of storytelling, she evokes a wider narrative that considers the role that everyday objects play in our collective cultural memory. Areta Wilkinson (b.1969) has been making jewellery since 1991. She has worked as a design lecturer at Unitec Auckland and has made brooches for Queen Elizabeth II, the late Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikahu and for Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu. She currently lives and works from her studio in Oxford, in North Canterbury; and in May this year she received one of New Zealand’s most prestigious awards for contemporary jewellery – TheNewDowse Gold Award.
Tawai 2009 Areta Wilkinson. Image: Studio La Gonda
Waka Huia is a touring exhibition and as it travels to different venues around New Zealand, it is gradually re-shaped by its journey. As a special addition to the Waka Huia project, Wilkinson visited the collection of Hawke’s Bay Cultural Trust/Ruawharo Ta-u-Rangi to research a new series of works. Among the collection was a small toggle made from albatross bone. Albatross bones were prized by Maori, used in instruments and adornments that utilised their strong, hollow form. This indigenous ‘finding’ (a jewellery component/clasp,hook,back) captured Wilksinon’s attention and she has translated the artefact into a series of sterling silver toggles, entitled ‘Memory Aid I, II and III. For Wilkinson, this series acts as a reference point to the local history of adornment. All images by Studio Gonda, courtesy of Areta Wilkinson 2009. Waka Huia is open to the public at Hawke's Bay Museum & Art Gallery from October 17 to March 14, 2010. www.hbmag.co.nz
Tawai 2009 Areta Wilkinson. Image: Studio La Gonda
Waka Huia is a touring exhibition and as it travels to different venues around New Zealand, it is gradually re-shaped by its journey. As a special addition to the Waka Huia project, Wilkinson visited the collection of Hawke’s Bay Cultural Trust/Ruawharo Ta-u-Rangi to research a new series of works. Among the collection was a small toggle made from albatross bone. Albatross bones were prized by Maori, used in instruments and adornments that utilised their strong, hollow form. This indigenous ‘finding’ (a jewellery component/clasp,hook,back) captured Wilksinon’s attention and she has translated the artefact into a series of sterling silver toggles, entitled ‘Memory Aid I, II and III. For Wilkinson, this series acts as a reference point to the local history of adornment. All images by Studio Gonda, courtesy of Areta Wilkinson 2009. Waka Huia is open to the public at Hawke's Bay Museum & Art Gallery from October 17 to March 14, 2010. www.hbmag.co.nz
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