Kia Ora Whanau,
My name is Tracy, in 2013 I completed the three year Diploma in Māori Visual Arts from Te Wananga o Aotearoa ki Porirua. Last year I completed Te Maunga Kura Toi - Raranga, The BA in Māori Visual Arts Majoring in Raranga and graduated with my degree on 23 April 2015. I have met some incredible people on this journey and will be forever grateful for the warm spirit of generosity that permeates throughout the weaving whanua.
It was awesome to be able to collaborate with the other weavers at Te Roopu Raranga o Manaia in mid November to make the paki for Mark Sykes.
I am looking forward to this year with the view to doing the mahi I want to do rather than the mahi that needs to be done for academic reasons. I have really enjoyed the study and I believe the research has given depth and purpose to the mahi but the tight time frames have played havoc with my hands so working to a slower pace will be appreciated.
My mahi for this year will be in line with the Roopu project of kakahu making. I am already thinking about what sort of kakahu I want to make!!
Mahi from the Past
Here is the pattern I selected for my tāniko kete to complete my Diploma in Māori Visual Arts.
I used contemporary materials.
Introducing Taku Purotu - My Beautiful Darling
The completed triptych of tukutuku panels - each representing a facet of my raranga journey. Two of the Panels reside at Hikoikoi and the third is in Wanganui
Here are some books you might be interested in reading for instruction on how to make kete:
Kete Whakairo: Plaiting Flax for Beginners by Margaret Rose Ngawaka
Te Mahi Kete: Maori Flaxwork for Beginners by Mick Pendergrast
