Ron Te Kawa in the Arctic Circle. 'It was like living in a snow globe.'
Ron Te Kawa in the Arctic Circle. 'It was like living in a snow globe.'
For textile artist Maungarongo (Ron) Te Kawa, having his work displayed in two exhibitions on the other side of the world, as well as a residency, was the opportunity of a lifetime.
The Woodville-based artist, who creates quilts exploring whakapapa and mātauranga Māori (knowledge), spent much of the last few months in Norway, for the openings of each exhibition as well as a textile art residency.
It’s an opportunity that hasn’t come without hard work and around four decades of crafting his art.
Ron’s exhibition, Te Whare Pora/A Sacred Space, has been touring around New Zealand for the past three years.
It’s art he sees as joyful expression “of Māori people on their best, most fantastic day ever”.
One of Ron Te Kawa's quilts called Hīnātore - considered a place that exists to rejuvenate and grow the body, mind and spirit. Ron's quilting style explores explores mātauranga Māori.
An article about the exhibition was featured in a magazine in Norway and it was seen by the Norwegian Craft Council.
Ron says it contacted Objectspace deputy director Zoe Black, who had been doing a curatorial residency with Norwegian Crafts, and asked if the exhibition could be brought to Norway.
The first exhibition was held at the Nitja Center for Contemporary Arts in Lillestrøm and got great reviews, Ron says.
In November, the exhibition moved to the Sami Art Gallery in Karasjoka, located in the Arctic Circle.
During the two months between openings, Ron was accepted for the Søndre International Textile Art residency, which meant staying at a chalet overlooking the fjords at Søndre Green farm, next to Lake Krøderfjorden in the municipality of Krødsherad.
He says there were five other international artists there, living in a separate block, who were only there for his first four weeks.
“The first four weeks were really exciting because of other people around.”
While there, he made a book about the kuaka bird, which flies between New Zealand and the Arctic Circle and the art gallery will be turning that into a colouring book for children.
Another colouring book, for adults, is being made around the quilts in Norwegian, Maori and Sami.
Along with working with Sami artists, amazing scenery, and learning about a different culture, Ron was also adopted by the local school.
“They were amazing. They still write. We made tiki guardians for the term.”
Ron loved his time there.
“I knew it was special every second. I never gave myself a chance to not appreciate it. I lived in gratitude for every second I was there.”
He says he knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity after 40 years of working at his craft.
Now back home in Woodville, Ron is preparing to take up the Rita Angus residency, which will involve working in her Wellington studio, before he goes to Christchurch for a few weeks for another residency.
Meantime, his quilts will be on their way back to New Zealand and can be seen at Te Manawa from March 21 to July 21.
Leanne Warr is editor of the Bush Telegraph and has been a journalist on and off since 1996 when she joined the Levin Chronicle. She re-joined NZME in June 2021.
